It was on July 28 that a family in a pleasure boat was heading home on the Hakefjord between Tjörn and the mainland. On the same course, but at a higher speed, came the Norwegian-registered ship Misje Verde.
The man who was driving the pleasure boat described during the trial that he did not hear the ship until it was too late. Then everything went pitch black. When he finally managed to get to the surface, he saw the two children's life jackets some distance away.
When I arrive, I see that my son is wearing one life jacket and that the other life jacket is empty, he said.
Then I probably break down a bit, because I realize that my daughter, who couldn't really swim, isn't wearing her life jacket and that it's probably over for her.
The father and son in the family were eventually rescued, but the mother and daughter were later found dead.
Appealing the verdict
Both the Russian commander and the Swedish pilot aboard the Misje Verde are now convicted on all counts: negligence in maritime traffic, causing death to another person and causing bodily harm.
The penalty will be a suspended sentence for the captain, while the pilot will be sentenced to a suspended sentence and a daily fine. The captain will not be sentenced to a daily fine, as he has previously been in custody.
Both men deny any wrongdoing, but the Gothenburg District Court finds that the collision could have been avoided if the lookout on board the cargo ship had been properly maintained.
The verdict will be appealed.
We believe that the district court made a mistake on the issue of liability and can already state that the verdict will be appealed, says the pilot's defense attorney Thomas Håkansson.
In our opinion, responsibility has been placed on a pilot that cannot be placed on a pilot.
“Greater responsibility”
The captain's defense attorney Taavi Tuula also opens the way for an appeal.
"There are several issues that I don't think the court has answered satisfactorily and that perhaps should be examined by a higher court. But it's so recent and then my principal has the ultimate decision," he says.
Prosecutor James von Reis, for his part, is satisfied with the verdict, especially since the pilot was also convicted by the district court.
"I am very pleased that there was a conviction against both of them and the sentence is also reasonable, even though I talked about prison in my plea," he says.
I am particularly pleased with the reasoning surrounding the pilot's responsibility. I assumed that the master's responsibility would not be a major problem.
The family now hopes above all that the legal process will lead to similar accidents being avoided.
But the loss is what it is, regardless of the verdict, says plaintiff's attorney Elisabet Rohtlieb.
