Former Motorway Chief Sentenced to 12 Years for Genoa Bridge Collapse That Killed 43

Giovanni Castellucci, former CEO of Italy’s Autostrade per l’Italia (Aspi), has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the catastrophic collapse of Genoa’s Morandi bridge in August 2018, which claimed 43 lives.

The disaster occurred during intense rainfall in the holiday season, causing vehicles to plummet from the elevated motorway structure. Prosecutors had sought a significantly harsher penalty for Castellucci, who is currently serving a separate six-year term for a 2013 road incident. A total of 57 individuals were on trial in Genoa, with another senior official, Michele Donferri Mitelli, receiving an 11-year sentence.

Paolo Berti, the former deputy head of Aspi, was handed a five-and-a-half-year term, falling short of prosecutors’ requested seven years. All defendants maintained their innocence throughout the proceedings. Prosecutors argued systematic neglect of maintenance and ignored structural warnings contributed to the collapse, while defense attorneys attributed the failure to design flaws and encapsulation of specific cables in concrete.

The verdict was met with mixed reactions from victims’ families. Emmanuel Diaz, who lost his brother in the collapse, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, whereas Egle Possetti, whose sister and family died, deemed Castellucci’s sentence “acceptable.” Castellucci was absent during the court proceedings.

Source link