Paris court sentences six men over Channel boat sinking

A Paris court sentenced six men to prison terms of six to 10 years for involuntary manslaughter over the November 2021 sinking of a migrant boat in the English Channel. The court convicted 13 of the 14 defendants who stood trial, acquitting one; the other seven received lesser sentences for related offenses. The case concerned a crossing from France toward Britain that ended when an overloaded inflatable boat sank. Reports describe 31 people as having died, while 27 bodies were recovered and at least four people were not found. Two people survived. The court said the defendants convicted of manslaughter were directly or indirectly responsible for the journey and condemned the methods used to organize it. The full sentences for the 13 convicted men ranged from six months to 10 years. The lesser terms included suspended prison time, while some defendants received sentences of up to four years. The trial began in September and examined allegations that the men had organized or assisted the crossing, including by arranging transport and preparing and loading the boat. Two of the 14 defendants remained at large, according to one report.