Inquest Returns ‘Accidental Death’ Of Moroccan National
Coroner Charles Pitto yesterday returned a verdict of ‘Accidental Death’ following an inquest into the death of the Moroccan national found floating in the sea off Europa Point last August.
A statement from the Royal Gibraltar Police follows below:
The body of El-Mehdi Akhrif, aged 23, was repatriated and returned to the family in Morocco after a complex identification process following inquiries with Interpol which involved fingerprint analysis and DNA. Moroccan authorities also assisted the RGP.
The Coroner highlighted the dangers involved with illegal immigration and the tragedy surrounding this case, with the deceased having died just days after his 23rd birthday.
The man is believed to have fallen into the sea from a small vessel while attempting to enter Spain. Search and rescue attempts by the Spanish authorities which involved use of a Police helicopter and other maritime units proved unsuccessful.
