An Italian court has sentenced former motorway executives to prison over the 2018 Genoa bridge collapse that killed 43 people. Giovanni Castellucci, ex-CEO of Autostrade per l’Italia, received a 12-year term, while Michele Donferri Mitelli was given 11 years.
Verdicts in the Morandi bridge disaster
The Morandi bridge collapsed during a rainstorm in August 2018, sending vehicles plummeting 45 meters to the ground. Castellucci, already serving a six-year sentence for a 2013 road disaster, was among 57 defendants accused of failing to maintain the 1967 viaduct.
Prosecutors had sought a total of 400 years in prison for all defendants, arguing that maintenance delays and ignored warnings contributed to the collapse. Defense lawyers countered that a design flaw and a concrete-encased cable were to blame.
Families react to the sentences
Emmanuel Diaz, whose brother died in the collapse, told Italian TV he was "very satisfied" with the verdict. Egle Possetti, who lost her sister and her family, called Castellucci’s 12-year term "acceptable."
Other sentences included five-and-a-half years for Paolo Berti, Autostrade’s former number two, and seven years less than prosecutors had requested. Judge Paolo Lepri read the verdicts in Castellucci’s absence.
