Italian court sentences ex-highway chief to 12 years over deadly Genoa bridge collapse

An Italian court has sentenced Giovanni Castellucci, the former head of the highway company Autostrade per l'Italia, to 12 years in prison for his role in the deadly collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa in 2018. The collapse, which occurred on August 14, 2018, resulted in the deaths of 43 people and is one of Italy's worst infrastructure disasters.
The courtroom was packed with relatives of the victims as the verdict was announced on Thursday. Castellucci was found guilty of vehicle homicide and negligence. The trial, which began four years ago, involved 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.
In addition to Castellucci, the former head of Spea, the engineering company in charge of the renovations, and officials from the infrastructure ministry were also on trial. The court sentenced 32 defendants in total, with the remaining defendants either acquitted or cleared of charges.
The Morandi Bridge was a key highway connecting France and Italy and collapsed during torrential rain. The disaster highlighted issues with Italy's ageing infrastructure. The bridge was inaugurated in 1967 and had an unusual design made of concrete instead of steel.
The trial was described as a process of superlatives, with 284 trial days and hundreds of witnesses, experts, and civil parties, including the Italian state. The verdict comes after nearly eight years since the tragedy, providing some closure to the families of the victims.
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