The crew of the South Korea ferry that capsized and sank in April killing hundreds of high school students faced their first day of trial on Tuesday, surrounded by the outraged and grieving family members of the victims.
Relatives shouted "murderer" at the 15 crew members that face charges including homicide and negligence to account for the deaths of over 300 passengers, Reuters reported.
"You are not human. You are beneath animals," read one sign held up by a family member.
The ferry's captain, Lee Joon-seok, and three other crew members have been charged with homicide, which may come with a death penalty if they are convicted. The 68-year-old captain was captured on video abandoning the ferry wearing his underwear as it began tilting on April 16. The rest of the passengers were told to stay on board.
"That guy is the captain isn't he?" someone said as the crew members walked into the courtroom, Reuters reported. "Murderer!"
Two crew members have been charged with fleeing and abandoning ship, and nine have been charged with negligence, according to Reuters. They are accused of delaying the evacuation order that led to the students being trapped on the ferry until it was too late.
"The crew claimed that they had panic disorder so they didn't know what to do or couldn't save the passengers," Park Eun-hee, whose daughter died on the ferry, told Reuters. "But during that time, our children were crying as they called their parents and said they were scared."
Only 172 people out of over 400 passengers were rescued from the ferry that sank after it left the port city of Incheon on its way to the island Jeju. Most of the passengers were high school students on their way to a resort. Investigators say overloading of the ferry contributed to it capsizing.
Seven lawyers have been appointed by the court to defend the crew members. The captain's lawyer said his client had no control over how much cargo the company that owns the ferry loaded onto the boat, Reuters reported.
Joon-seok and another senior crew member are asking for leniency.
