Italy has delivered a major court ruling in one of the country’s deadliest infrastructure disasters. A court in Genoa sentenced former motorway operator chief Giovanni Castellucci to 12 years in prison for his role in the 2018 Morandi bridge collapse, which killed 43 people.
The decision came after a lengthy legal process that lasted several years. Although prosecutors requested a much longer sentence, the court found Castellucci guilty and handed him a 12 year prison term.
Court Hands Down Verdicts After Years of Investigation
The Morandi bridge collapsed during heavy rain on August 14, 2018. The bridge gave way while vehicles were crossing it, sending cars and trucks crashing to the ground below. The tragedy shocked Italy and raised serious concerns about the safety of the country’s ageing infrastructure.
Following almost four years of investigation and another four years of court proceedings, judges announced verdicts for all 57 defendants involved in the case.
The court convicted 32 people. The remaining 25 defendants were either acquitted or cleared because some charges had expired under Italy’s statute of limitations.
Former Motorway Officials Receive Prison Sentences
Giovanni Castellucci, the former chief executive of Autostrade per l’Italia, received the longest sentence of 12 years. He did not attend the hearing. His lawyer said they would challenge the ruling and continue to fight for his acquittal during the appeal process.
Former motorway executive Michele Donferri Mitelli received an 11 year prison sentence.
Paolo Berti, who served as the company’s deputy executive, received a prison sentence of five and a half years. The court also sentenced several other engineers and government officials for their roles in the disaster.
Among them, former Spea chief executive Antonino Galatà received five and a half years in prison. Mauro Coletta, a former transport ministry official responsible for motorway oversight, received a five year sentence.
Families Welcome the Court’s Decision
Many relatives of the victims attended the hearing and embraced each other after the verdicts were announced.
Emmanuel Diaz, who lost his brother in the collapse, said he felt satisfied with the court’s decision.
Egle Possetti, whose sister, brother in law, and two children died in the disaster, described Castellucci’s sentence as acceptable. She said the ruling marked an important step toward justice for the victims’ families and offered hope after years of waiting.
Prosecutors and Defence Offered Different Explanations
Prosecutors argued that officials repeatedly delayed essential maintenance work and ignored warning signs about the bridge’s condition. They believed these failures directly contributed to the collapse.
Defence lawyers rejected those claims. They argued that the disaster resulted from flaws in the bridge’s original design, including a cable enclosed in concrete that made inspections more difficult.
All of the defendants denied wrongdoing throughout the trial.
A Landmark Case for Italy
The Morandi bridge, designed by engineer Riccardo Morandi and opened in 1967, became the focus of one of Italy’s largest criminal investigations involving public infrastructure.
Prosecutors initially sought a combined total of 400 years in prison for all 57 defendants on charges including manslaughter and failure to properly maintain the bridge.
The latest ruling represents a significant milestone in the long search for accountability following one of Italy’s most devastating bridge disasters.
