Italian court sentences ex-highway chief to 12 years’ jail over Genoa bridge disaster
An Italian court on Thursday sentenced the former head of motorway operator Autostrade per l’Italia to 12 years for his role in a deadly bridge disaster eight years ago.
Giovanni Castellucci was found guilty of vehicle homicide and negligence related to the collapse of the bridge in Genoa that killed 43 people in one of the country’s worst infrastructure disasters.
The courtroom was packed with relatives of those who plunged to their deaths when the Morandi Bridge – part of a key highway connecting France and Italy – gave way in torrential rain on August 14, 2018.
Thursday’s verdict comes after four years of trial hearings for 57 defendants on charges of manslaughter, endangering transport safety and falsifying official documents.
The prosecution had requested jail sentences adding up to more than 400 years in total, including 18 years for Castellucci.