In brief
In a landmark verdict, Giovanni Castellucci, ex‑chief executive of Autostrade per l’Italia, was handed a 12‑year prison sentence for his role in the August 2018 collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa that killed 43 people. Other officials, including Michele Donferri Mitelli and Paolo Berti, received 11‑year and 5½‑year sentences. The court found 32 defendants guilty; 25 were acquitted or cleared by statute of limitations. Families of victims welcomed the ruling as a step toward accountability. The Italian justice system continues to investigate the disaster, with appeals expected to follow.
Italian officials handed jail terms for Genoa bridge disaster that killed 43
Giovanni Castellucci, former chief executive of the motorway operator Autostrade per l’Italia, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his part in the August 2018 collapse of Genoa’s Morandi bridge that claimed 43 lives.
Prosecutors had sought a longer sentence, citing repeated maintenance failures and ignored safety warnings that left the bridge vulnerable. Castellucci is already serving a six‑year term for a 2013 road disaster and was one of 57 defendants heard in Genoa.
Michele Donferri Mitelli, another top motorway official, received an 11‑year sentence, while former Aspi chief Paolo Berti was handed 5½ years. In total 32 defendants were found guilty; a handful received sentences under two years, and 25 were acquitted or cleared by statute of limitations.
Families of the victims echoed a mix of relief and anger. Egle Possetti, head of the memorial committee, welcomed the 12‑year term as “acceptable” and a ray of light in a long‑grieving process. Other relatives, such as Cesare Cerulli, complained that the apology from Aspi’s current head Arrigo Giana was “crocodile tears”.
The court’s verdict followed almost four years of investigation and another four years of trial over more than 280 hearings. Among those tried were engineers from Spea, former officials from the transport ministry and from Aspi’s parent company Atlantia.
Aspirations for the future are already in motion. The remains of the old bridge were demolished in June 2019 and a new structure, the San Giorgio bridge designed by Renzo Piano, opened the following year. The new viaduct features sail‑like pylons and honors Genoa’s maritime heritage.
