Costa Concordia captain convicted in shipwreck

The captain of the Costa Concordia is guilty of manslaughter and other charges related to the ship’s fatal wreck in January 2012 off the Italian coast, a judge announced Wednesday night, capping a tumultuous 19-month trial and providing a little more closure for dozens of grieving families. Lengthy trial or not, the three-judge panel needed only about five hours to decide the fate of Francesco Schettino. Their choices: Agree with prosecutors who cast the captain as an “idiot” who abandoned ship like a coward, or with defense lawyers who characterized him as a “scapegoat” who ended up in a lifeboat only because he lost his balance and fell into it. The judges apparently sided with prosecutors, and sentenced Schettino to spend 16 years in prison and to pay court costs. It could have been worse. The former captain faced a possible sentence of 26 years behind bars for convictions for causing a maritime disaster, abandoning ship and multiple counts of manslaughter. Captain: I went through ‘media meat grinder’ The nightmare will never end for the families of those 32 people who died after the cruise ship, captained by Schettino, crashed into rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio. And for a while, it may have seemed like Schettino’s trial wouldn’t end either. Over the past two years, the judges heard from a wide variety of witnesses, including passengers, crew members and technical experts. Those testifying included the captain’s female guest on the cruise, Domnica Cermortan, a Moldovan dancer who testified that she was in a romantic relationship with Schettino and that she was with him on the bridge when the accident occurred. Schettino admitted to the court that his reason for sailing close to Giglio – leading the ship to hit rocks – was to “impress the passengers.” Breaking down in tears, Schettino recalled that January day three years ago. “I died along with the 32 others,” he said. And since then, Schettino insisted, he’s become a victim, processed by a “media meat grinder.” Lawyer cites Champagne bottle Schettino’s lead lawyer Domenico Pepe began his closing arguments on Monday by referring to the fact that the champagne bottle used to christen the ill-fated vessel when it was put into service in 2006 did not break. “Everything about this ship and this process since then has been a mystery so far,” he said. “Everything about this ship and this process since then has been a mystery so far,” he said. Pepe then addressed each of the charges against the captain, starting with causing a shipwreck and maritime disaster. He repeated the accusation that because his helmsman Jacob Rusli Bin allegedly did not understand English – a language he was required to speak – when Schettino gave the orders to turn the ship away from the island, he, in fact, caused the accident, not Schettino. He said helmsman Jacob Rusli Bin allegedly did not understand English – a language he was required to speak – when Schettino gave the orders to turn the ship away from the island. Therefore, the attorney argued, Rusli Bin caused the accident – not Schettino. Rusli Bin was subpoenaed to testify, but his last known address was in Indonesia and he could not be forced to come to the court in Italy. Schettino’s defense also hinged on alleged malfunctions of the ship’s equipment and infrastructure, including claims that the ship had faulty watertight doors and generators, and that the elevators did not work when the ship was listing. These claims were hard to verify because much of the ship was immersed off the coast of Giglio for many months after the accident. “Everything that did not work on the ship is part of the cause of the accident,” Pepe told the court. “Lights didn’t work. People fell into holes. Elevators got stuck.” The lawyer offered one last defense of his client Wednesday, even as he said it would be “easier to fly than defend Schettino,” given all the barbs directed his way by the cruise ship company and media who “needed a scapegoat.” “In these three years,” Pepe said, “Schettino has suffered the same as a 30-year sentence.” The abandoning ship charge Pepe tried to explain why his client left the ship ahead of so many passengers, part of the charge of abandoning ship. He used an elaborate graphic to illustrate the inclination of the ship at the time Schettino apparently lost his balance and fell into the lifeboat that took him to shore. He said that once on shore, Schettino was able to conduct the rescue operation and that he never lost control of the operation. He used a graphic to illustrate the inclination of the ship at the time Schettino apparently lost his balance and fell into the lifeboat that took him to shore. He said that once on shore, Schettino was able to conduct the rescue operation and that he never lost control of the operation. Pepe then addressed the famous exchange between Gregorio De Falco – commander of the Livorno Port Authority the night of the accident – and Schettino, during which De Falco told Schettino to “get back on board for f**k’s sake.” Pepe called De Falco’s tone degrading and said the commander was unprofessional and egotistic at a moment when he should have been a voice of calm. Pepe suggested it was De Falco’s stern manner, rather than Schettino’s apparent ineptitude, that damaged Italy’s reputation. The manslaughter charges Addressing the manslaughter charges, Pepe tried to bolster his argument that because no one died on impact when the ship slammed into the rocks, Schettino cannot be held liable. Everyone who perished lost their lives as a result of the chaotic evacuation, he said. Pepe defended Schettino’s decision to delay the call to abandon ship by nearly an hour. “Stop for a minute to consider what would have happened if he had abandoned ship 1 kilometer from shore,” Pepe said. “There could be 4,500 dead, not 32.” (There were 4,229 passengers and crew on the ship) “Stop for a minute to consider what would have happened if he had abandoned ship 1 kilometer from shore,” Pepe said. “There could be 4,500 dead, not 32.” (There were 4,229 passengers and crew on the ship.) Lawyers for 16 civil parties, including the island of Giglio, which are included in criminal trials in Italy, will have a chance to offer final arguments along with the prosecutor. Then Schettino’s defense team will have one more chance at a brief final rebuttal before the three-judge panel retires to deliberate. But unless there’s a successful appeal, Italy will never find out if that would be the case.

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Costa Concordia captain convicted in deadly shipwreck