Ex-CEO of Italian motorway operator among 32 convicted over Genoa bridge collapse
Former Autostrade Chief Executive Receives 12-Year Sentence in Genoa Bridge Tragedy Case
Ex CEO of Italian motorway operator - Italy's judicial system delivered its verdict on Thursday, with Giovanni Castellucci, the ex-leader of Autostrade per l'Italia—the nation's premier highway management company—receiving a twelve-year prison term. This punishment relates to the catastrophic failure of Genoa's Morandi Bridge in 2018, an event that claimed forty-three lives and stands as one of the country's most devastating infrastructure disasters. Prosecutors had originally requested a much harsher penalty of eighteen years and six months for the former executive.
Castellucci is currently serving a separate six-year sentence stemming from the Avellino coach accident. The broader trial resulted in thirty-two convictions, with penalties spanning from one year and eleven months up to the twelve-year maximum handed down to Castellucci. Several defendants escaped conviction entirely, while others benefited from expired statutes of limitations on lesser charges.
Key Figures Found Guilty
Among those convicted alongside Castellucci was Michele Donferri Mitelli, who previously led Autostrade's maintenance division and received an eleven-year sentence. Antonino Galatà, the former head of SPEA engineering, was given five and a half years. The charges against all defendants centered on negligence that contributed to the bridge's structural failure, as well as manslaughter charges arising from inadequate maintenance protocols. The Morandi Bridge served as a critical transportation link connecting northern Italy with the French Riviera.
Egle Possetti, who leads a committee dedicated to honoring those who perished in the disaster, spoke to journalists outside the courthouse.
I lost my sister, her two children, my brother-in-law and even their little dog. That's where my determination comes from — to make sure they receive justice and that their deaths were not in vain.
She emphasized that accountability should extend beyond senior management.
I think it is important that responsibility extends beyond those at the top. Autostrade, SPEA and the Transport Ministry all had roles to play. I hope the state's responsibility also emerges clearly.
Defense Arguments and Appeal Plans
Guido Carlo Alleva, representing Castellucci, characterized the judgment as fundamentally incorrect.
They have sought a culprit rather than establishing responsibility. Castellucci has been convicted despite having done nothing wrong. His only 'fault' is that he is innocent,
he stated.
I believe this is a profoundly wrong ruling. We will appeal,
Alleva continued.
I always respect judges' decisions and will carefully read the court's reasoning for a ruling with which I do not agree in the slightest.
The Morandi Bridge, alternatively called the Polcevera viaduct, was engineered by Riccardo Morandi and began operations in 1967. On August 14, 2018, at 11:36 a.m., violent storm conditions triggered the collapse, causing vehicles and trucks to fall to the ground below. Beyond the forty-three fatalities, five hundred sixty-six local residents were forced to relocate from their homes.
Prosecutors attributed the disaster to a deliberate corporate strategy by Aspi's leadership to reduce maintenance expenditures while increasing profitability. They also criticized the Ministry of Infrastructure for insufficient oversight. Conversely, the defense maintained that a previously undetectable structural defect within the stay cables—components connecting the bridge deck to its supports—caused corrosion and ultimately led to pier nine's failure.
The legal proceedings commenced on July 7, 2022, and spanned four years with two hundred eighty-two witnesses testifying across an equal number of hearings. The comprehensive trial generated over twenty-four thousand pages of transcripts, ten thousand pages of documentary records, and a five-thousand-page prosecutorial closing brief.
Arrigo Giana, Autostrade's current chief executive, released a public apology on Thursday through an open letter featured in prominent Italian newspapers.
The actions and decisions of some people left indelible scars,
Giana wrote, noting that he had joined Autostrade as CEO the previous year.
Offering today the apology that was not made then is, for us, a moral imperative that goes beyond establishing legal responsibility and the course of justice toward the truth.