Moretti starts 5-year prison term for Viareggio disaster as Cassation ends 17-year trial

Surrender at Orvieto

Mauro Moretti arrived at Orvieto prison shortly before midnight on 25 June, hours after the Court of Cassation made his conviction definitive. He underwent identification procedures and spent the night in a shared cell before being moved to another wing. Prison staff described the 72-year-old former manager as serene and cooperative; he reportedly praised the institution's organisation. Moretti had chosen Orvieto because of its reputation, having volunteered there as a CNEL adviser developing rehabilitation projects. He told Corriere della Sera beforehand: "How am I? I've reached this moment in perfect physical and mental shape, and now I'm ready."

I'm going in, and I hope it won't be for too long.

Seventeen years of trials

The sentence brings to a close a judicial saga that began with the first-instance trial in Lucca in November 2013. The disaster occurred on 29 June 2009 when a freight train carrying liquefied petroleum gas derailed just before Viareggio station, releasing gas that ignited and engulfed a neighbourhood. Four of the 14 tank wagons overturned and one ruptured, causing an explosion that killed 32 people, including three children, and wounded more than a hundred. After an investigation that identified a corroded axle as the cause, a cascade of hearings, appeals and counter-appeals ensued. The Cassation first confirmed criminal responsibility in January 2024; the final ruling on 25 June 2026 closed the case.

What the Cassation decided

The Supreme Court upheld the five-year prison term for Moretti, convicted of culpable disaster, alongside sentences ranging from two to six years for eleven other defendants, including German maintenance executives. The charges of manslaughter had been swallowed by the statute of limitations after the courts declined to recognise the aggravating factor of workplace-safety violations. The victims' lawyer, Gabriele Dalle Luche, argued that Moretti's liability stemmed from his dual role as CEO of Ferrovie dello Stato holding and of network manager RFI. "He exercised direction and coordination power, interfering directly in the management of subsidiaries and choosing to neglect safety for the transport of dangerous goods," Dalle Luche said.

Moretti's 'dangerous precedent'

Moretti has maintained his innocence, insisting he always worked correctly. "This sentence sets a very dangerous precedent regarding managers' responsibility," he told Corriere della Sera. He noted that the four-year threshold for actual imprisonment "happens to have been imposed on me." After the ruling, persons close to him reiterated his belief that he was in jail as an innocent man. He has not apologised to the victims' families; during a parliamentary hearing he once called the tragedy "a very unpleasant episode."

I have a straight back and my head held high.

Solidarity and division among railway staff

The confirmation of the verdict has divided opinion. Many current and former railway employees posted a photo of Moretti and former RFI CEO Michele Mario Elia on their WhatsApp statuses as a sign of solidarity. An ex-FS executive told Adnkronos that "there is awareness that this is an unjust sentence" because attributing an incident of this magnitude to a CEO is "abnormal," and that safety levels rose during Moretti's tenure. At the same time, victims' families and their legal representatives insist that top management cannot evade responsibility when they prioritise budgets over maintenance.