149. Memorandum submitted by the Marchioness
Contact Group
As members of the Marchioness Contact Group
along with others we have campaigned long and hard for corporate
accountability.
The Marchioness was rammed and sunk by dredger
Bowbelle on 20 August 1989.
That night our beloved children Stephen Perks
and Francesca Dallaglio were unlawfully killed along with 49 others.
We were cruelly dumped into a disaster, the
traumatic events devastated us all emotionally, we were left sickened
and in total shock.
At no time have those responsible for this terrible
disaster ie the operators of both vessels namely Ready Mix Concrete
and Tidal Cruisers Ltd, who failed to post proper lookouts were
made accountable.
The owners of both vessels were in Lord Justice
Clarke's words "causative of this avoidable collision."
They admitted their failure to implement a safe system of navigation
of the vessels on the River Thames:
1. English law has aided and abetted those
responsible for 52 unlawful killings, for this reason it is important
for the British Government to recognise the long overdue need
for statute law to be implemented for corporate accountability
and corporate responsibility.
2. Change the law of corporate manslaughter
so that companies can be held to account if their grossly negligent
management failures cause death.
3. Impose legally binding safety duties upon
company directors.
4. The courts have the option of imprisoning
company directors and managers convicted of any health and safety
offence.
5. The courts must be provided with powers
to impose stronger sentences.
6. The Government must take action that will
improve workplace health and safety, increase law enforcement
and promote corporate accountability.
7. Companies and directors who negligently
or recklessly cause death or injury, who place others at unacceptable
risks are held to account and imprisoned.
On a positive side what we have achieved thus
far.
(a) The Thames Safety Inquiry
(b) Marchioness/Bowbelle Formal Investigation
(c) Set up of the Coronial Review Body
(d) RNLI Rescue Service on the River Thames
4 September 2005
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