Next Monday, the Second Section of the Provincial Court of Palma will hold the trial against two young men accused of having skippered a patera that, in July last year, arrived in Formentera with 13 migrants on board.
The prosecution claims that the facts constitute a crime against the rights of foreign citizens and requests a seven-year prison sentence for each of the defendants.
A clandestine crossing from Algeria
According to the indictment, the vessel departed at midnight on July 15 from Tipaza, Algeria, bound for the coast of Formentera. On board were the two accused, who allegedly took turns driving the skiff throughout the crossing. Along with them, 13 other migrants who, according to the investigations, had paid around 2,000 euros each to make the dangerous journey.
The trip, carried out in a skiff of just a few meters in length and without the minimum safety conditions, put the lives of all the occupants at risk. The prosecution underlines that the boat was not prepared to face the sea conditions and that its crew members lacked knowledge of navigation, which increased the danger of the crossing.
A guarded disembarkation in Formentera
After several hours at sea, the boat reached the coast of Formentera and the migrants disembarked on a beach near es Caló. It was then that the authorities detected their arrival and initiated an investigation to identify those responsible for the trip.
Now, with the trial underway, justice will have to determine the degree of responsibility of the two accused and whether they were indeed the ones who directed the boat. If found guilty, they could face up to seven years in prison.
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