On November 24, 2021, people aboard a boat had called French help on numerous occasions without any means of rescue being sent.
per Julia Pascual
More than a year after the sinking in the Channel during which at least 27 people died drowned, three families of victims and two associations require compensation to the government. In their letter, sent on February 13, the families of victims – the brother of the Iraqi Shakar Ali Pirot, died at 30, that of the Iranian Sirwan Ali Poor, died at 23, as well as the wife of the ‘Ethiopien Fikiru Shiferaw Tekalegn, who died at 46, demand compensation from the French State up to 130,000 to almost 200,000 euros.
To support their request, the applicants evoke the current criminal investigation on this sinking, the most serious since migrants have undertaken to reach England aboard pneumatic fortune canoes. The investigation “reveals that operators from the Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Center (CROSS) have been contacted at least fourteen times by the boat without any rescue operation being triggered, leaving the boat derive in waters English “, denounce Utopia 56 and the League for Human Rights in a press release which was to be made public on February 15.
According to these elements, revealed by MO12345lemonde in November 2022, one year after the sinking of November 24, 2021, people aboard the boat have called French rescue on space very numerous occasions in space ‘About three hours, without any means of rescue being sent.
Given the trajectory of the boat which approached British waters, the cross favored a passage of relays to the English. “The cross has communicated plot information to its British counterpart, also denounces the two associations. In exchanges with the British coast guards, the distress situation in which the boat was never mentioned. “In addition, they underline, the British asked the French to intervene because one of their patrollers was close to the location of the boat. In vain.
“Criminal qualification”
According to a summary note of October 14, 2022, investigators from the research section of the Maritime Gendarmerie de Cherbourg (Manche) recommend “additional investigations” to shed light on “facts that can receive a criminal qualification, Title of non-assistance to person in danger “.
Without response from the government within two months to the compensation request, or in the event of a negative response, the applicants will seize the administrative court.
“The chronology of calls for help and the refusal to help are frightening, underlines Patrick Baudouin, president of the League for Human Rights. This is a very emblematic case of a total deficiency of the means of Rescue and obvious failure in the aid provided, which arises in contradiction with all the applicable law rules “.