Fifteen South Korean crew members have gone on trial over the deaths of at least 202 people, meet of them school pupas, in a ferry disaster in 4.1
Captain Lee Joon-seok, 69, and three others face the most serious charge of ‘homi¬cide through wilful negli-
His lawyer said the captain bed no power to stop the fon from overloading the Sent and insisted he had not meant to cause the accident Many rebtives of the vic¬tims were in court to see the opening ef the Shot
The case has received feverish media coverage, leaving commentators sug-gesting that the defendants will snuggle to get a fair trial Hahn Jee-hpng a judge who acts as a spokesman for the court pleaded with the public not to take their frus-trations out on the defence lavryers..Thestate-appointed Lawyers have taken on the case out of publicinterest and not of their ovm Late Hahn told reporters.
‘Menial will focus on Capt Lee and his crew’s escape from the sinldng ferry while hundreds of passengers remained trapped inside If convicted, Cant lee and three crew members could he handed the death penalty, but observers say it is extremely =bleb it would be canied out Eleven other new are being him on lesser charges of criminal negligence and maritime law violations.
