Prosecutors seek nine-year prison terms for captain and shipowners of the 'Villa de Pitanxo'
Spanish prosecutors are asking for up to nine years in prison for three defendants over the 2022 sinking of a Galician fishing vessel off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, which killed 21 of the 24 crew members.
Prosecutors seek nine-year prison terms for captain and shipowners of the 'Villa de Pitanxo'
Spanish prosecutors have requested prison sentences of up to nine years for each of the three defendants charged in connection with the sinking of the Galician fishing vessel 'Villa de Pitanxo' in February 2022 off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The maritime disaster claimed the lives of 21 of the 24 sailors on board.
In the indictment filed this Wednesday, the prosecution names the ship's captain, Juan Padín, and the two top executives of the vessel's owning company, Grupo Nores Marín: José Antonio Nores Rodríguez and his son José Antonio Nores Ortega.
The same sentence is sought for all three: nine years behind bars as alleged perpetrators of 21 counts of reckless homicide, committed concurrently with one count of reckless injury. The latter charge relates to the surviving crew member, Samuel Kwesi. Additionally, the defendants face one count of violating workers' rights.
According to sources close to Europa Press, the indictment also requests a 13-year ban preventing Padín from serving as a ship captain. Similarly, the prosecution seeks the same disqualification for the two shipowners, barring them from managing or directing companies in the fishing industry for that period.
More than four years have passed since the tragedy. Of the 24 people aboard the 'Villa de Pitanxo', only three survived. Among the survivors was Juan Padín himself, now a defendant. Also rescued were his nephew Eduardo Rial and Ghanaian sailor Samuel Kwesi. It was precisely the testimony of the latter that triggered the judicial investigation.
Padín and Rial stated that the vessel's engine stopped suddenly, leaving the boat adrift in the middle of a severe storm. The sea eventually swallowed the ship, giving the crew no time to react.
However, Kwesi offered a different account. According to his statement, the 'Villa de Pitanxo' had become snagged — its nets had caught on the seabed. In response, the captain attempted several maneuvers to free them. The vessel began to list as it failed to break loose, and water flooded the deck until the engine stopped. Kwesi claimed that the sailors were shouting to release the nets, but were ignored.
These contradictions between testimonies drove the judicial inquiry forward. Judge Ismael Moreno of the National Court found evidence of 21 reckless homicides and charged Padín and the shipowners. Now, the prosecution has formalized its sentencing request.
Source: ABC
Source: ABC