Full Breakdown
Sentencing in the Morandi Bridge Collapse Case: 12-Year Prison Term for Former Autostrade CEO
7/17/2026, 12:39:35 AM
The Verdict and Its Immediate Details
On 16 July 2026 an Italian court in Genoa sentenced former Atlantia and Autostrade per l’Italia chief executive Giovanni Castellucci to 12 years in prison for “vehicle homicide and negligence” linked to the 14 August 2018 collapse of the Morandi Bridge. The judgment also handed sentences ranging from one year 11 months to 11 years to 31 other defendants, including former head of maintenance Michele Donferri Mitelli (11 years) and former SPEA CEO Antonino Galatà (5 years 6 months). Of the 57 people tried, 32 were convicted; 25 were acquitted or cleared by the statute of limitations. The court was presided over by Judge Paolo Lepri and filled with roughly 400 relatives of the 43 victims.
Background and Context
The Morandi Bridge, a 1,182-metre (1,293-yard) cable-stayed viaduct designed by engineer Riccardo Morandi, opened in 1967 and formed a key link between northern Italy and the French Riviera. On a summer storm in August 2018 a 50-metre (160-foot) section collapsed, sending up to 35 vehicles onto warehouses and the Polcevera riverbed below. The disaster killed 43 people and displaced 566 residents. Investigations highlighted long-standing concerns about the bridge’s ageing structure, ignored warning signs, and postponed maintenance work.
Key Figures and Groups
- Giovanni Castellucci – former CEO of Autostrade per l’Italia and Atlantia (controlling shareholder at the time).
- Michele Donferri Mitelli – former head of maintenance at Autostrade.
- Antonino Galatà – former SPEA engineering company CEO.
- Arrigo Giana – current Autostrade CEO, issued a public apology.
- Egle Possetti – spokesperson for victims, heads a remembrance committee.
- Giovanni Paolo Accinni – lawyer for Castellucci.
- Guido Carlo Alleva – defence lawyer for Castellucci.
- Walter Cotugno – lead prosecutor who described the bridge as “a ticking time bomb.”
- Benetton family – owners of Atlantia, later relinquished control of Autostrade following the disaster.
Data and Statistics
- 57 individuals charged; 32 convicted.
- Sentences: 12 years (Castellucci) down to 1 year 11 months.
- 43 fatalities; 35 vehicles involved in the collapse.
- 282 witnesses testified over 4 years of hearings; the record includes 24,000 pages of transcripts and a 5,000-page prosecutorial brief.
- Prosecutors originally sought more than 400 years of cumulative jail time.
Why It Matters
The case has become a litmus test for Italy’s ability to hold corporate and governmental actors accountable for infrastructure failures. It underscores systemic issues in the maintenance of ageing bridges, the political struggle over motorway ownership that ended with the Benetton family’s divestiture, and public confidence in a justice system often described as slow and complex.
Official Statements & Responses
Prosecutors argued that years of inadequate maintenance, ignored warnings, and delayed safety work contributed to the collapse, alleging that profit-driven decisions postponed essential repairs. Defence counsel maintained that a hidden design defect—corrosion of stay cable No. 9—was the sole cause and that no maintenance programme could have averted the tragedy. Autostrade’s current chief, Arrigo Giana, issued an open-letter apology, emphasizing moral responsibility beyond legal liability. The court’s ruling was presented as a step toward accountability for the “decaying infrastructure” that plagued Italy.
Criticism and Opposition
Castellucci’s lawyers described the verdict as “a defeat for the truth” and warned against turning the case into a scapegoating exercise. Defence attorney Guido Carlo Alleva called the judgment “profoundly wrong,” asserting that Castellucci was innocent and that the court had sought a culprit rather than establishing systemic responsibility.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the primary cause of the collapse: prosecutors stress maintenance neglect, while defence teams stress an original design flaw in cable No. 9. Additionally, the prosecution’s requested sentence (up to 18 years 6 months for Castellucci) contrasts with the 12-year term ultimately imposed, reflecting a gap between prosecutorial expectations and judicial outcome.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We need to better understand the ruling; there are a large number of defendants involved,” — Egle Possetti, spokesperson for the victims
- “This is a defeat for the truth of what happened,” — Giovanni Paolo Accinni, lawyer for Castellucci
- “I wish to apologise to the victims’ families, to the people of Genoa, and to all Italians for the suffering caused by the tragic Morandi disaster, fully aware that our gesture can never erase their pain,” — Arrigo Giana, CEO of Autostrade per l’Italia
- “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,” — Guido Carlo Alleva, lawyer for Castellucci
- “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,” — Egle Possetti, spokesperson for the victims
What’s Next
Under Italian law the first-instance verdict can be appealed at least twice. Castellucci’s legal team has announced its intention to file an appeal, though no hearing dates have been set. The case remains a focal point for ongoing debates about infrastructure policy and corporate accountability in Italy.
