French court jails six men for manslaughter over mass drowning in Channel
Seven others found guilty of lesser charges in connection to incident in 2021 when inflatable dinghy sank killing at least 27 people with four more still missing
TL;DR
- Six men were jailed for manslaughter for their role in a Channel migrant boat sinking that killed at least 27 people.
- Seven other men received sentences for lesser smuggling charges, including facilitating illegal immigration.
- The incident occurred in November 2021 when an inflatable dinghy sank, resulting in the deaths of mostly Iraqi Kurds and others from various nationalities.
- The court condemned the use of a substandard, uncertified, overcrowded boat, and lack of lifejackets.
- Sentences for manslaughter ranged from six to 10 years, while other sentences varied from suspended six months to four years.
- The convicted men were linked to Afghan and Iraqi-Kurdish smuggling networks.
- An separate investigation is ongoing in France into seven French military personnel for failing to help a person in danger.
- Families of the victims are still seeking closure, with one brother searching for the body of his 18-year-old sibling.