Italian Court Convicts 32 of 57 Defendants in 2018 Genoa Bridge Collapse

An Italian court on Thursday convicted 32 defendants, including former Autostrade per l'Italia CEO Giovanni Castellucci, for their roles in the 2018 collapse of Genoa's Morandi bridge that killed 43 people. Castellucci was sentenced to 12 years in jail. The ruling came in a trial of 57 defendants that opened in July 2022 and featured 284 hearings.

The collapse occurred on 14 August 2018 during a summer storm on a section of the bridge that carried a key route linking Genoa to the French border. Among the victims were Claudia Possetti, 47, her husband Andrea, and their two children aged 12 and 16, whose car plunged onto railway tracks below. The structure, built in the 1960s, was demolished with two explosions in June 2019.

A replacement bridge designed by Renzo Piano opened in August 2020. Defendants included former executives of Autostrade per l'Italia and its parent company Atlantia, engineers from maintenance firm Spea, and former transport ministry officials. They faced charges of multiple manslaughter, negligent disaster, and falsifying documents.

All denied wrongdoing. Autostrade per l'Italia and Spea reached a settlement paying approximately 30 million euros in damages and are no longer defendants in the criminal case. Autostrade per l'Italia CEO Arrigo Giana issued a public apology in an open letter published in two Italian newspapers before the verdict.

Giana stated that the current company operates under different ownership and management than at the time of the collapse. Egle Possetti, sister of victim Claudia Possetti, said she feels anxious and emotional ahead of the ruling. "After so many years, so many hearings, we may be able to see some light," she said.

The victims' families committee plans a press conference in Genoa on Thursday evening after the verdict.