Indonesian crash victims’ families torn over prospect of criminal charges for Boeing

Families doubt Boeing executives will face actual jail time. A new wave of legal action just means ‘no peace for the victims’, some say

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A Lion Air Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft of the type that crashed into the Java Sea off Jakarta in 2018 killing all 189 people on board. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 12:00pm, 30 Jun 2024

News that criminal charges will be brought against Boeing over alleged breaches of a 2021 settlement related to two fatal crashes has elicited a mixed response from victims’ families, with some welcoming the prospect of perceived justice, while others have voiced scepticism and lamented the need to “dig up the past.”

Prosecutors in the United States have recommended charging Boeing over a violation of settlement conditions in the aftermath of its 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which killed a combined 346 people.

The US Department of Justice has until July 7 to decide whether to prosecute Boeing executives.

Indonesian officials inspect an engine recovered from the crashed Lion Air jet in 2018. Photo: AP

Families of some of the 189 people who were killed when Lion Air flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea in Indonesia in 2018 told This Week in Asia that they had mixed feelings.

Bias Ramadhan, whose mother Hasna was aboard flight 610, said he doubted that any Boeing executives would be punished for potential fraud.

“Up to this point, they have always managed to get away from their responsibilities. I hope people from Boeing go to jail for what they did, but the realistic side of me knows for sure no one will go to jail,” he said.

“I do support any kind of prosecution against Boeing and I hope for the best.”