A court in Genoa sentenced Giovanni Castellucci, the former CEO of Italy’s main highway operator, to 12 years in prison for the collapse of the Morandi road bridge in August 2018. The disaster resulted in the deaths of 43 people and is considered one of Italy’s worst infrastructure setbacks.

The verdict was delivered on Thursday, July 16, 2026, following four years of trial hearings involving 57 defendants, including company executives, engineers, and transport ministry officials. Charges included manslaughter, endangering transport safety, and falsifying official documents.

Alongside Castellucci, Autostrade’s former head of maintenance, Michele Donferri Mitelli, was sentenced to 11 years, and Antonino Galata, former CEO of the SPEA engineering company, received five years and six months.

In total, 32 defendants were convicted while 25 were acquitted or cleared by statute of limitations. Families of the victims stated that the verdict confirmed the tragedy was preventable.

Additional unrelated news mentioned includes the release of four Gaza aid flotilla activists from Libya detention and Italy recovering 10 bodies after a boat capsized off Malta.

Sources