SÃO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) - Argentina's civil courts convicted this Wednesday (8) Claudio Villamide, former commander of the Navy's Submarine Force, for the sinking of the ARA San Juan, a submersible that imploded in 2017 with 44 soldiers on board.
Argentine Navy Commander sentenced for sinking of ARA San Juan
SÃO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) - Argentina's civil courts convicted this Wednesday (8) Claudio Villamide, former commander of the Navy's Submarine Force, for the sinking of the ARA San Juan, a submersible that imploded in...
Villamide, 62, was found guilty of the crimes of negligence and breach of duty as a public servant and sentenced to three years in prison. Three other naval commanders who were also accused in the case ended up acquitted.
"The family members will appeal the acquittals and demand more severe sentences," lawyer Valeria Carreras, representing the majority of the victims' relatives, who considered the court's punishment "insufficient" told AFP news agency.
Appeals will be filed after the court releases the grounds for the sentence on August 21. "The objective will be to review both the acquittals and the amount of the sentence imposed on Villamide," explained Carreras.
According to the Argentine Public Ministry, the submarine began its patrol mission without being in suitable condition for navigation. Prosecutors stated that Villamide did not take into account "the poor readiness conditions" of the submarine. The requested sentence was five years in prison.
The ARA San Juan disappeared on November 15, 2017 in the South Atlantic, off the coast of Patagonia, and its wreckage was found a year later, on November 16, 2018. The cause of the sinking was found to be an implosion, but the sequence of events that made it possible is still unknown.
Before disappearing, the submarine reported a breakdown and a fire caused by a short circuit in the battery room, which was reportedly contained. On November 15, 2017, it submerged below 100 meters and imploded. One hypothesis states that seawater may have entered the vessel's electric motor through a leak, causing an explosion that would have ruptured the hull.
An international operation participated in the search for the vessel when there was still hope of finding its crew alive after the Argentine Navy announced that the submarine had suffered a "communications failure".
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Source: Noticias ao Minuto - Ultima Hora
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