An Italian court in Genoa sentenced Giovanni Castellucci, the former chief executive of motorway operator Autostrade per l'Italia (Aspi), to 12 years in prison on Thursday. The ruling follows the 2018 collapse of the Morandi bridge, which resulted in the deaths of 43 people. Prosecutors had sought a longer sentence, but the court convicted Castellucci and 31 other defendants on charges including manslaughter and failure to maintain the structure.
Among the 57 total defendants, Michele Donferri Mitelli, another former top official at Aspi, received an 11-year sentence. Several other executives and government officials received terms ranging from two to five-and-a-half years. The court acquitted or cleared 25 defendants due to insufficient evidence or the expiration of the statute of limitations. Defense attorneys argued the collapse was caused by an original design flaw rather than maintenance neglect and stated they intend to appeal the verdict.
The trial lasted four years and included more than 280 hearings. Relatives of the victims expressed that the verdict represented a first step toward accountability. On the eve of the verdict, current Aspi leadership issued an apology for the disaster, while noting the company has since implemented new risk-management protocols. The Morandi bridge was demolished in 2019 and has since been replaced by the San Giorgio bridge.