An Italian court has sentenced 32 defendants, including the former chief executive of the motorway operator Autostrade, Giovanni Castellucci, for their roles in the 2018 Genoa bridge collapse that claimed the lives of 43 people. Castellucci was found guilty of vehicular homicide and negligence.
The Morandi Bridge, a vital highway link between France and Italy, collapsed in torrential rain on August 14, 2018. The courtroom was filled with relatives of the victims who plunged to their deaths.
Prosecutors accused Castellucci of delaying essential maintenance work. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and is already serving time for his involvement in a 2013 accident where a bus crashed through a viaduct, killing 40 people.
"Today we can say there are those guilty of the murder of our relatives," said Michele Matti Altadonna, whose brother was among those killed. "We are here for our loved ones, in their memory."
Investigators found that "not even minimal maintenance work was carried out to reinforce the stays of pillar number nine" between the bridge's inauguration in 1967 and its collapse 51 years later. Maintenance had been performed on two other pillars, but not on the one that failed.
Raffaele Caruso, a lawyer for the victims, stated that the collapse was not accidental and "could have been avoided."
Many of the convicted individuals were executives and technicians from Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI), which manages a significant portion of Italy's motorway network, and the engineering firm Spea, responsible for maintenance. Antonino Galata, former head of Spea, and officials from the infrastructure ministry were also among those sentenced.
ASPI's former executive in charge of maintenance, Michele Mitelli, received an 11-year sentence, while Paolo Berti, the group's second-in-command, was sentenced to five years and six months.
Edoardo Rixi, Italy's deputy transport secretary, described the ruling as an "important step on the path of truth and justice," adding that the collapse was the result of "serious errors and omissions by those who had a duty to ensure safety."
The defense argued that a hidden construction defect, specifically corrosion of the bridge's cables, caused the collapse, rather than a lack of maintenance. Castellucci's legal team stated that the court wrongly assigned criminal liability based on hierarchical position, asserting that the former CEO had relied on the advice of engineering specialists.
Autostrade and Spea reached an out-of-court settlement, agreeing to pay 29 million euros ($30 million) to the state. At the time of the collapse, Autostrade was part of the Atlantia group, controlled by the Benetton family. Following public outcry, the family divested its stake to the state.
Lawyers for some defendants, including Castellucci, have indicated their intention to appeal the verdict. Under Italian law, judges are required to publish the reasoning for their decision within six months.
