It was on July 28 that a pleasure boat carrying a couple and their two young children was on its way home on the Hakefjord between Tjörn and the mainland.
On the same course, but at higher speed, came the Norwegian-flagged ship Misje Verde.
The man who was driving the pleasure boat said 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 surface, he saw the two children's life jackets some distance away.
When I came up, I saw that my son was wearing one life jacket and that the other life jacket was empty, he said.
Then I probably broke down a bit, because I realized that my daughter, who couldn't really swim, wasn't wearing her life jacket and that it was probably over for her.
The father and son were eventually rescued, but the mother and daughter were found dead on July 29 and 30, respectively.
Denies crime
Now both the Russian commander and the Swedish pilot aboard the Misje Verde have been convicted on all charges: negligence in maritime traffic, causing death to another person and causing bodily harm.
The sentence will be a suspended sentence for the captain, while the pilot will be sentenced to a suspended sentence and a daily fine. The master 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 found that the collision could have been avoided if the lookout on board the cargo ship had been properly maintained.
“Greater responsibility”
According to the law, the pilot also has a responsibility.
In this particular case, we have looked at what has been said during this sea voyage, how people have been positioned on the bridge, and based on that, we have assessed that the pilot in this case has taken on greater responsibility or more tasks than is necessarily required according to the Pilotage Ordinance, says the court's chairman, Anne Rapp.
The captain's defense attorney Taavi Tuula tells TT that it may be necessary to appeal the verdict.
"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.
According to the plaintiff's attorney, Elisabet Rohtlieb, the family hopes above all that the legal process will lead to similar accidents being avoided.
Yes, they hope that the lessons learned will be used to reduce the risk of a similar accident. But the loss is what it is, regardless of the verdict. The verdict doesn't change that.
