Relatives of nine Japanese lost at sea in the Feb. 9 collision between the Japanese fisheries training ship Ehime Maru and a U.S. submarine on Tuesday criticized the U.S. Navy decision not to hold a court-martial.
Missing and presumed dead are four students of Uwajima Fisheries High School, Ehime Prefecture, two of their teachers and three crew members from the ship, which sank after being struck by the submarine Greeneville off Oahu Island.
Ryosuke Terata, 45, father of student Yusuke, one of the missing, said he cannot accept the navy decision to honorably discharge the sub's former skipper, Cmdr. Scott Waddle.
"If (he were) in Japan, he would be fired and indicted on charges such as professional negligence resulting in death," he said.