An Italian court has sentenced several former officials linked to the country’s motorway operator over the collapse of Genoa’s Morandi bridge, a tragedy that killed 43 people in August 2018. The former chief executive of Autostrade per l’Italia, Giovanni Castellucci, received a 12-year prison term after prosecutors argued for a much harsher punishment.
The bridge gave way during a rainstorm at the height of the holiday season, sending vehicles on the motorway down to the ground below. Castellucci was among 57 defendants tried in Genoa. Another senior motorway figure, Michele Donferri Mitelli, was sentenced to 11 years, while Paolo Berti, the company’s former number two, received five and a half years.
Reaction from victims’ families
Families of those who died followed the case closely. Emmanuel Diaz, whose brother was among the victims, said he was very satisfied with the ruling, while Egle Possetti, whose sister and family members were killed, described the 12-year sentence as acceptable. Castellucci was not present in court when Judge Paolo Lepri read out the verdicts.
Prosecutors had sought a total of 400 years in jail for the 57 defendants, saying maintenance of the ageing viaduct had been delayed repeatedly and warning signs had been ignored. The defence rejected wrongdoing and pointed instead to a design flaw, including the fact that one cable was encased in concrete. The bridge had been built in 1967 by Riccardo Morandi.
Source: bbc.co.uk
