Utopia 56 Slams Authorities Over Deadly Channel Shipwreck
NGO Utopia 56 has launched a shocking manslaughter complaint after a fatal Channel shipwreck. They’ve targeted French and UK officials for failing to rescue desperate migrants in distress.
Who’s in the Dock?
- A French Prefect
- French rescue service CROSS Gris Nez
- UK Director of Her Majesty’s Coastguards
- Any others the investigation uncovers
The NGO says distress calls went ignored. Survivors and relatives say both French and English rescue teams knew about the crisis before the bodies were found by a fishing boat — but no help came.
Ignored SOS Calls Uncovered
Utopia 56 revealed they were contacted by people aboard the doomed boat beforehand. One voicemail said: “If I call 999 they say call 1, and when we call France they tell us to contact the UK. Both couldn’t care less.”
A “judicial source” confirmed the ongoing investigation already verified these distress calls.
Investigation: A Race Against Time and Denial
The NGO criticised UK authorities for not opening an investigation post-tragedy. Meanwhile, the French probe mainly targets the smugglers. Utopia 56 hopes their lawsuit sparks a full probe into the authorities’ role.
This tragedy is the deadliest ever recorded in migrant attempts to cross the Channel, says the International Organisation for Migration. The disaster happened amid a surge in Channel crossings from France to the UK this year.
