Morandi Bridge verdict due as Autostrade issues last-minute apology to families of 43 victims
Eight years after the Genoa disaster, the first-instance trial of 57 defendants nears its conclusion; Autostrade per l'Italia CEO Arrigo Giana published an open letter pleading for forgiveness just hours before the verdict.
On 14 August 2018, a section of the Morandi viaduct collapsed during heavy traffic, killing 43 people and isolating the port city of Genoa. The disaster prompted a criminal investigation that identified failures in maintenance and oversight. Prosecutor Francesco Cozzi, now head of the Genoa prosecutor's office, declared from the outset:
It was not a fatality.
The new bridge, designed by Renzo Piano, was inaugurated in 2020, roughly two years after the collapse, restoring a vital transport link.
- Viaduct collapses, 43 people die
- New bridge completed
- Autostrade CEO issues open apology letter
- First-instance verdict for 57 defendants
The trial by numbers
The first-instance trial, which began after years of investigation, has now concluded its evidentiary phase. It involved 57 defendants, originally 59 before two died, facing 112 charges. Over four years, the court held 284 hearings, roughly three per week, hearing from 282 witnesses. The proceedings were joined by 168 civil parties, represented by around 100 lawyers. Raffaele Caruso, lawyer for the victims' families committee, said:
It could not have been shorter. The matter was complex, both to ascertain the causes of the disaster and to identify criminal responsibilities. I must acknowledge that the defences were loyal, no obstructionism.
The prosecution's case
The most severe sentencing request was for Giovanni Castellucci, the former CEO of Autostrade per l'Italia, for whom the prosecution asked 18 years and six months. Castellucci, who chose to make a spontaneous statement, told the court:
I feel responsible but not guilty.
The other defendants include former executives, managers and technicians from Autostrade per l'Italia and its maintenance arm Spea, as well as officials and consultants from the Ministry of Transport, which appears both as employer of the accused and as a civil party.
Autostrade breaks its silence
On 15 July 2026, the day before the verdict, Autostrade CEO Arrigo Giana released an open letter via Corriere della Sera. He wrote:
We break the silence. I kept asking myself how it was possible not to immediately apologise. Offering today those apologies not made yesterday is a moral need that goes beyond the ascertainment of responsibilities and the course of justice towards the truth.
Giana stressed that the company has changed:
The company is something else compared to then: a new course under State control and with new shareholders. A new management, with new executives who work daily to monitor the network, plan interventions and prevent risks.
Survivor and family reactions
The apology shocked many. The victims' relatives committee reacted with dismay, calling the gesture out of time. One survivor, Davide Capello, who was driving on the bridge when it collapsed and emerged from his car unharmed, told Fanpage.it:
I survived because nothing fell on me. But it took me three years to drive over that bridge again, then rebuilt.
Asked about the verdict, he added:
I hope that responsibility will be recognised for those who made mistakes and those who failed to do the maintenance on the bridge.
Political expectations
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini addressed the Aiscat assembly in Rome on 15 July, stating:
If you manage motorways you must do maintenance. I count on the responsibilities of the past being punished and indicated. Not only Genoa but all of Italy deserves and awaits justice.
The verdict is expected later today at the Genoa courthouse.
