Trial starts for errant captain of Costa Concordia
LatestHe’s known as the most hated man in Italy. Nearly three years after Costa Concordia’s fatal crash in January 2012, former cruise ship captain Francesco Schettino took a stand yesterday in Grosseto, Italy to face charges of manslaughter in the deaths of 32 passengers who drowned after a rock ripped a hole in the hull of the ship.
According to BBC, Schettino said his decision to sail into shallow waters was an ill-planned attempt to impress the ships’ passengers.
Rescue divers searched for missing people inside the flooded ship for days after the accident. The final body was pulled from the wreckage a month ago.Schettino resisted orders from the Italian Coast Guard, according to audio recordings used against him in the trial. In addition to negligence and manslaughter, the former captain is also being charged with abandoning his ship in violation of Italy’s Code of Navigation.
Schettino claims he was thrown into the water when the ship rolled after crashing into the rocks. He blamed his former crew for not warning him about sailing too close to the island.
Giselle Robles is a professional salsa/mambo dancer, photographer/videographer and is an Associate Producer/Librarian for Fusion.