COSTA CONCORDIA

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Schettino could be sent to open custody

The former captain Francesco Schettino of the 'Costa Concordia' could soon be sent to open custody, 13 years after the tragedy on the night of Jan 12, 2012, when the cruise ship sank off the Italian island of Giglio in Tuscany. The legal and psychological consequences of the accident continue to this day. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Cassation in Rome convicted Captain Francesco Schettino as the person primarily responsible for the shipwreck and the deaths of 32 people to 16 years in prison. He has been in prison in Rome ever since. His request for a retrial of his case failed in 2023. The Supreme Court in Rome rejected a corresponding request from Schettino. The captain came under criticism not only for the failed maneuver, but also for leaving the ship while the evacuation was still underway. He has become a figure of fun at times because of his bizarre statements. In May 2025, the Neapolitan, now 64 years old, will have served half of his 16-year prison sentence. Because of his good behaviour, this gives him the opportunity to go into open custody. Schettino has now submitted a corresponding application, and the decision is due to be made on March 4. The ex-captain would then be allowed to leave the Rebibbia prison in Rome in the morning, go to work or take part in a rehabilitation measure, and return to his cell in the evening. Promoting the return of an offender to a responsible life is an explicit goal in many legal systems, including Italy. Schettino is already entitled to 45 days of release per year.

Court of Cassation rejected the appeal of the defense of Francesco Schettino

The Court of Cassation has rejected the appeal of the defense of the former captain Francesco Schettino against the order of the Court of Appeal of Genoa which in February 2022 denied the revision of the trial for the sinking of the 'Costa Concordia' on Jan 13, 2012, off Giglio, which cost the lives of 32 people. Schettino is therefore sentenced to sixteen years' imprisonment. While waiting to know the reasons (not yet filed) that prompted the Supreme Court not to accept the request for a new trial, the disappointment of the lawyers who assisted Schettino, the lawyers Saverio Senese and Paola Astarita, remainsed. “I don't hide my bitterness. I still believe that the sentence for the shipwreck was completely legitimate, but the one for manslaughter and abandoning ship left me with many doubts. We acknowledge that the word has come to an end on this case which, in my opinion, remains a great judicial error". Schettino's defense underlined in the appeal how the Genoese judges did not take into consideration the new evidence (a video and two technical consultancies) that had been filed. Simply declaring it inadmissible "de plano", that is, without going into the merits of the new documents. In particular, the new evidence presented in support of the request for review of the trial concerns the tightness of the watertight doors, "truly responsible for the overturning and sinking of the Costa Concordia", according to the advice filed by the defense, together with the failure of the emergency diesel generator. The Court of Grosseto condemned Schettino on Feb 11, 2015, and the sentence was confirmed by the Court of Appeal of Florence one year later and made definitive by the Cassation on May 12, 2017, the day on which the former captain entered the prison of Rebibbia. In these 5,5 years, Schettino has already left prison a few times with reward permits and since last September he has been benefiting from alternative measures, engaged as an archivist in the digitization of the documents of the Ustica massacre.

"Captain Coward' to be released soon

Francesco Schettino, who was captain on board the 'Costa Concordia' when it sank off Giglio on Jan 13, 2012, is expected to be released from Rebibbia prison in Rome shortly. In February 2023, he will have served half of the 16-year sentence he was sentenced to on Feb 11, 2015, for being responsible for the deaths of 32 people. When half of the sentence has been served, he has the option of applying to serve the rest of the sentence outside prison, a possibility that the prison management has already indicated that it views positively. During his prison stay, Francesco Schettino has studied law and journalism, as well as skilled in the use of modern scanner technology. Based on this knowledge, the prison management recommends that Schettino, due to his skills, be employed in a state archive to digitize historical documents. He will thus not get the opportunity to return to his former profession.