Thirty-two people have been convicted and sentenced in an Italian court for their roles in the 2018 collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, a tragedy that claimed 43 lives. The verdict marks a significant development in the legal pursuit of accountability for one of the worst infrastructure disasters in modern Italian history.
In a courtroom in Genoa on Thursday, Giovanni Castellucci, the former chief executive of the motorway operator Autostrade per l’Italia (Aspi), was sentenced to 12 years in prison. This sentence represents the longest handed down in the case. Castellucci, who was not present for the reading of the verdict by Judge Paolo Lepri, was convicted of complicity in multiple counts of manslaughter through negligence.
Legal Outcomes and Sentencing
The trial involved 57 defendants, all of whom had denied wrongdoing. The sentences for the 32 convicted individuals ranged from one year and 11 months to 12 years.
Several other high-ranking officials faced significant penalties:
- Michele Donferri Mitelli (former motorway official): 11 years
- Paolo Berti (former number two at the motorway operator): 5.5 years
- Antonino Galatà (former chief executive of the maintenance firm Spea): 5.5 years
- Mauro Coletta (former top official at the transport ministry’s motorway directorate): 5 years
In total, prosecutors had sought approximately 400 years of jail time across the 57 defendants. Twenty-five individuals were either acquitted or cleared because their alleged offenses had expired under the statute of limitations. Castellucci’s lawyers stated they intend to appeal the verdict, describing the decision as “a defeat for the truth” and arguing that their client relied on the expertise of leading engineers.
Conflicting Arguments: Negligence vs. Design Flaws
The trial served as a focal point for debates regarding the safety of Italy’s aging infrastructure. Prosecutors argued that the collapse was the result of systemic negligence, asserting that maintenance on the 51-year-old structure was repeatedly delayed and that safety warning signs were ignored while the operator continued to distribute profits.
Conversely, the defense maintained that the disaster was caused by an inherent, fatal flaw in the bridge’s original design, specifically pointing to the failure of stay cable No. 9 and the fact that the cable had been encased in concrete. Defense lawyers argued that no maintenance program could have prevented the collapse, characterizing the proceedings as a search for a scapegoat rather than an investigation into individual responsibility.
Impact on Victims and Infrastructure
The collapse occurred during a summer storm in August 2018, when a 50-meter section of the Morandi Bridge gave way, sending vehicles plunging onto warehouses and a riverbed below. The event triggered a national political crisis regarding the oversight of Italy’s motorway network, ultimately leading the Benetton family to relinquish its controlling stake in Autostrade per l’Italia.
For the victims’ families, the verdict provided a complex moment of closure. Egle Possetti, a spokesperson for the victims who lost four family members in the collapse, described the 12-year sentence for Castellucci as “acceptable,” though she noted that families required more time to fully process the extensive ruling. Emmanuel Diaz, who lost his brother in the disaster, told Italian media he was “very satisfied” with the outcome.
The original structure, designed by Riccardo Morandi in 1967, has since been replaced by the Genoa San Giorgio Bridge. The new bridge was designed by architect Renzo Piano, who donated the project to the city, and opened to the public in August 2020.
A Test for the Italian Justice System
The trial was widely viewed as a test of the efficacy of the Italian justice system, which is often characterized by its slow pace in complex criminal proceedings. Because the initial ruling represents a first-instance decision, it remains subject to at least two potential stages of appeal under the Italian legal framework.
Ahead of the trial, the current head of Aspi, Arrigo Giana, issued a public apology on behalf of the company, acknowledging that “the actions and decisions of some people left indelible scars.” As the legal process continues toward potential appeals, the case remains a symbol of the broader challenges regarding infrastructure accountability and safety oversight in Italy.
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