As Laos’ methanol poisoning case begins, victims’ families, friends slam ‘cover-up’
A British man who was blinded in the incident says he feels sorry for the families of the six victims who died, but is ‘not angry’ any more
The distillery owner, whose products are thought to have caused the deaths, was charged last Friday with running an illegal business and selling harmful food products. He faces a jail term of three months to four years if convicted.
The families described the potential punishment as inadequate given the scale of the tragedy, having earlier called for manslaughter charges against both the distillery owner and the manager of the Nana Backpackers Hostel bar in the backpacker town of Vang Vieng, where the deaths occurred.
Also killed were Australians Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19; British lawyer Simone White, 28; and American national James Louis Hutson, 57.
Foreign media were barred from attending a press conference on July 17, at which Laotian authorities announced the charges.
That same day, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen expressed his dissatisfaction with the case.