Italy: Trial Starts in Morandi Bridge’s Lethal Collapse
Newslooks- GENOA, Italy (AP)
Fifty-nine people went on trial Thursday for the 2018 collapse of Genoa’s Morandi bridge, accused of manslaughter and other charges in the deaths of 43 people.
Judge Paolo Lepri, center, gestures during the first hearing of the trial for the Morandi bridge collapse at the Genoa’s Palace of Justice Thursday, July 7, 2022. Forty-three people were killed when a large stretch of the Morandi Bridge broke off, August 14, 2018, on the eve of one of Italy’s biggest vacation holidays. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The defendants include former executives and experts of the company that manages many of Italy’s bridges and highways, as well as former officials of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
A Lawyer attends the opening of the first hearing of the trial for the Morandi bridge collapse at the Genoa’s Palace of Justice Thursday, July 7, 2022. Forty-three people were killed when a large stretch of the Morandi Bridge broke off, August 14, 2018, on the eve of one of Italy’s biggest vacation holidays. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Prosecutors have alleged the defendants knew the bridge, which was built in the 1960s, was at risk of collapsing and that corners were cut on maintenance to save money.
Lawyers attend the opening of the first hearing of the trial for the Morandi bridge collapse at the Genoa’s Palace of Justice Thursday, July 7, 2022. Forty-three people were killed when a large stretch of the Morandi Bridge broke off, August 14, 2018, on the eve of one of Italy’s biggest vacation holidays. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The bridge’s designer had recommended regular upkeep to remove rust, especially due to the corrosive effect of moist air from the nearby Ligurian Sea, and maintenance to counter the effect of pollution on concrete.
FILE – A general view of the collapsed Morandi highway bridge in Genoa, northern Italy, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. Fifty-nine people went on trial Thursday, July 7, 2022, for the 2018 collapse of Genoa’s Morandi bridge, accused of manslaughter and other charges in the deaths of 43 people.The defendants include former executives and experts of the company that manages many of Italy’s bridges and highways, as well as former officials of the transport and infrastructure ministry. (AP Photo/Nicola Marfisi)
In April, a Genoa judge approved plea bargain requests by both the highway company, Autostrade per Italia, and the Spea engineering company, to pay 29 million euros ($33 million) to the Italian government in exchange for avoiding a trial.
Lawyers and Judges attend the opening of the first hearing of the trial for the Morandi bridge collapse at Genoa’s Palace of Justice Thursday, July 7, 2022. Forty-three people were killed when a large stretch of the Morandi Bridge broke off, August 14, 2018, on the eve of one of Italy’s biggest vacation holidays. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The lawyer for former Austostrade CEO Giovanni Castellucci, who is among the defendants, said the trial would show that the bridge collapsed not as a result of maintenance negligence but due to an original “construction defect.”
“This is why 43 people died in a terrifying and absurd way,” lawyer Giovanni Paolo Accinni told reporters Thursday outside the Genoa tribunal, the LaPresse news agency reported.
Relatives of the Morandi bridge collapse victims follow the start of the trial at the Genoa’s Palace of Justice, Thursday, July 7, 2022. Forty-three people were killed when a large stretch of the Morandi Bridge broke off, August 14, 2018, on the eve of one of Italy’s biggest vacation holidays. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
A replacement bridge, designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano, a Genoa native, features 43 lamps in memory of people who perished.
Giovanni Paolo Accinni, lawyer of former CEO of Atlantia Giovanni Castellucci, talks to journalists outside the Genoa’s Palace of Justice on the opening of the first hearing of the trial for the Morandi bridge collapse, Thursday, July 7, 2022. Forty-three people were killed when a large stretch of the Morandi Bridge broke off, August 14, 2018, on the eve of one of Italy’s biggest vacation holidays. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The governor of Liguria, Giovanni Toti, said the start of the trial was important for the region but also relatives of the 43 victims.
“Starting today, justice and truth are closer and we hope will arrive quickly,” Toti wrote on Facebook. “It’s the only way to rebuild the trust between citizens and the state that collapsed on that Godforsaken Aug. 14.”
FILE – In this Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018 file photo cars are blocked on the Morandi highway bridge after a section of it collapsed, in Genoa, northern Italy. Fifty-nine people went on trial Thursday, July 7, 2022, for the 2018 collapse of Genoa’s Morandi bridge, accused of manslaughter and other charges in the deaths of 43 people. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)
After the collapse, the Italian government forged a deal in which the Benetton fashion family agreed to sell its ownership stake in Autostrade.
