The former head of Italy's motorway operator, Giovanni Castellucci, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the collapse of Genoa's Morandi bridge in August 2018. The disaster, which occurred during a rainstorm at the height of the holiday season, resulted in the deaths of 43 people as cars and lorries fell from the bridge.

Castellucci, who was already serving a six-year sentence for a 2013 road incident, was among 57 defendants tried in Genoa. Another senior motorway official, Michele Donferri Mitelli, received an 11-year jail term. Paolo Berti, the former number two at the motorway operator, was sentenced to five and a half years, which was seven years less than prosecutors had requested.

Prosecutors had sought a total of 400 years in prison for all defendants, accusing them of failing to maintain the viaduct, originally built by Riccardo Morandi in 1967. They argued that maintenance was repeatedly delayed and warning signs ignored. Defense lawyers, however, attributed the collapse to a design flaw, specifically the encasement of a critical cable in concrete.

Castellucci was not present in court when Judge Paolo Lepri read the verdicts. Emmanuel Diaz, whose brother Henry died in the collapse, told Italian TV he was "very satisfied" with the verdict. Egle Possetti, whose sister and her family were also killed, described the 12-year sentence for Castellucci as "acceptable."

Sources