The legal route for families of those lost in the sinking of the Bugaled Breizh in January 2004 appears to have come to an end in France as the highest court has declined to accept appeals against the decisions reached by the Rennes court when the case was dismissed more than a year ago.
The hopes of the crew’s families now rest on the English legal system, with an inquest due to be held in Truro in September that is expected to hear evidence from officers on board HMS Turbulent, the submarine that has frequently been mentioned in connection with the loss of the Bugaled Breizh.
For the families of the Bugaled Breizh’s crew, the English route is now their main hope of getting the case re-opened in France, as any new evidence arising could result in a French case being re-opened, and the lawyer representing some of the families has also commented they will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Loctudy trawler Bugaled Breizh was lost on 15th January 2004 in a position 14 nautical miles south-west of the Lizard in Cornwall. An extremely brief mayday signal was transmitted by the crew, and the trawler subsequently vanished. All five crew lost their lives. The wreck was raised later that year and the absence of collision damage to the hull ruled out a collision with another vessel. A NATO naval exercise was taking place in the Channel at the time it is widely believed that a nuclear submarine catching in the trawler’s gear is the only feasible reason why it could have sunk so fast under otherwise good conditions.
