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[rooster59]

Top Italian court upholds conviction of Costa Concordia captain

By Crispian Balmer

 

Captain of the Costa Concordia cruise liner Francesco Schettino arrives for his trial in Grosseto February 11, 2015. REUTERS/Max Rossi/Files

 

ROME (Reuters) - The former captain of the Costa Concordia cruise liner was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Friday by Italy's highest court for his role in the 2012 shipwreck, which killed 32 people off the Tuscan holiday island of Giglio.

 

Francesco Schettino was originally found guilty in 2015 of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his passengers. Friday's ruling marked the end of the appeals process, with the court upholding the initial verdict.

 

Free during the prolonged legal battles, Schettino, 56, reported to a Rome prison to start his sentence as soon as he was told of the verdict, his lawyer Saverio Senese said.

 

"As always, Italy needs to find a scapegoat," Senese told reporters, adding that his client had waited for word of his fate alone outside the prison gates rather than stay at home with his family in southern Italy.

 

The Costa Concordia was carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew, when it hit rocks off Giglio on a chill January night, tearing a hole in its side and eventually keeling over.

 

Schettino was lambasted by the Italian media and branded "Captain Coward" for leaving the stricken ship while a chaotic night-time rescue operation was in full flow. Critics accused him of bringing shame to the whole country through his actions.

 

At his first trial prosecutors had asked for a 26-year term. Schettino admitted some responsibility but denied blame for the deaths that occurred during the evacuation and said he was not solely to blame.

 

His lawyer said he might appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. "I think there have been serious abuses here," Senese said. "I never give up."

 

Investigators severely criticised Schettino's handling of the disaster, accusing him of sailing too close to shore to perform a spectacular "salute" to Giglio for the benefit of the ship's head waiter, who came from the island.

 

Schettino was also accused of delaying the evacuation and abandoning his ship prematurely. He said he had been thrown off the vessel as it tilted and had landed on the roof a lifeboat.

 

Humiliatingly, a furious coast guard official had to order him to return to his ship and take charge of the rescue.

 

He was left alone on the stand to answer for the disaster after the ship's owner, the Costa Cruises subsidiary of Carnival Corp <CCL.N>, paid a fine of 1 million euros ($1.3 million at the time) and prosecutors accepted plea bargains from five other officials.

 

The massive, rusting hulk of the Costa Concordia was left abandoned on its side for two-and-a-half years before it was towed away in the most expensive maritime wreck recovery in history. The last body was not recovered until 2014.

 

Schettino's defence team contended that he prevented an even worse disaster by steering the ship close to the island as it sank.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-13

 

[khwaibah]

Hope all he gets to eat in prison is Pla Ra.

[darksidedog]

Since we were little kids we all knew that the Captain is the least person to leave the vessel, oft times going down with it. The cowardice and dereliction of duty shown here was truly a disgrace.

I don't know how many lives may have been saved had the Captain not abandoned ship, but the very fact that he was ordered back aboard by the coast guard, and had time to do so, shows that the situation was not that desperate, when he initially left.

The Captain of a ship, as with an airline is responsible for the safety of his passengers. Captain Coward failed in that responsibility and must shoulder the blame.

[Rhys]

.... it is only fitting to make him walk the plank with hungry sharks...

[Guest]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"As always, Italy needs to find a scapegoat," Senese told reporters,

Ha!

[Stargeezr]

Captain Coward is a fitting title for this jerk in jail. Glad to hear he is going away for that long of time, although it should have been more.

[Moonlover]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Schettino's defence team contended that he prevented an even worse disaster by steering the ship close to the island as it sank.

 

This is actually true, but having caused the disaster in the first place due to gross negligence and then compounding his actions with cowardness and  dereliction of duty, he deserves every day of his sentence.

[williamgeorgeallen]

he decides to sail close to an island to impress his girlfriend and then abandons ship rather than co ordinate the evacuation. many families will think 16 years is not enough. he was lucky the wind and currents moved the ship back into shallow water before sinking or the death toll would probably have been in the hundreds.

[sanukjim]

2 hours ago, oilinki said:

Ha!

I hope that he is "caught picking up the soap" in the shower. 5555

[IAMHERE]

Italy courts wanted to give Amanda Knox 28 years for murdering one person, this guy gets 16 years for killing 32 people. 

[sanukjim]

15 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

Italy courts wanted to give Amanda Knox 28 years for murdering one person, this guy gets 16 years for killing 32 people. 

For your info Murder and Negligent Homicide are two different acts .

[Prbkk]

16 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

Italy courts wanted to give Amanda Knox 28 years for murdering one person, this guy gets 16 years for killing 32 people. 

And that little minx walked away. Guilty as sin but just like in the case of the revolting Scaphhelle Corby , the gullible public believes the PR spin.

This guy was always ( and deservedly) heading for prison from the very moment the  Coast Guard guy shouted at him, in a disgusted voice, " get back on that boat"

[Basil B]

On 2017-5-13 at 1:47 AM, darksidedog said:

Since we were little kids we all knew that the Captain is the least person to leave the vessel, oft times going down with it. The cowardice and dereliction of duty shown here was truly a disgrace.

I don't know how many lives may have been saved had the Captain not abandoned ship, but the very fact that he was ordered back aboard by the coast guard, and had time to do so, shows that the situation was not that desperate, when he initially left.

The Captain of a ship, as with an airline is responsible for the safety of his passengers. Captain Coward failed in that responsibility and must shoulder the blame.

I do not give with "Captain going down with his ship", but the captain and crew should remain on board while they help the passengers, and then the officers should be helping the lower ranks off and so on... but when you can not help anyone else then save yourself.

 

But I suspect the main reason for jumping ship so quick was to sneak away and avoid some awkward questions until he could concoct a story.

[boomerangutang]

Had he been drinking alcohol prior to the shipwreck?  If so, then it's also a drug-related crime.

 

During the Exxon Valdez investigation, it was found the captain was drunk.

 

Why is it, when someone commits a crime and it's found he's been doing heroin or speed, the headlines scream "Drugged person...... " does so 'n so!   Yet, when it's a drunk criminal, it's only mentioned as a hoped-for excuse.  

 

Pot is illegal.  Alcohol is legal.   One causes profound harm each day.  The other doesn't.  Heck, even hemp is illegal, though no one in the history of the world has ever gotten stoned on hemp.  Weird world we're living in.