Schettino’s Parole Hearing Postponed to April 8 Due to Change of Judge

Rome: A Rome court on Tuesday postponed a hearing to consider a request by former Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino to be granted a day-release regime to April 8 due to a change of judge. Schettino is currently serving a 16-year sentence at Rome’s Rebibbia prison for multiple manslaughter charges related to the 2012 cruise ship disaster off Tuscany’s Giglio Island, which resulted in 32 fatalities.

According to Ansa News Agency, Schettino was responsible for Italy’s worst postwar maritime disaster by navigating the Costa Concordia too close to the island’s coast in a maneuver intended to “salute” people onshore. His actions resulted in the ship striking an underwater rock formation, causing a significant breach in the hull.

Schettino was infamously labeled “captain coward” by the media for abandoning the ship before ensuring all passengers were safely evacuated. The catastrophe occurred on the evening of January 13, 2012, when the cruise liner, carrying 3,216 passengers and 1,013 crew members, collided with a rock formation off the island’s east coast. The impact created a 70-meter gash on the ship’s left side.

The ship eventually ran aground at Punta Gabbianara, north of the island’s port, preventing it from sinking into the deeper waters. In addition to the 32 passengers who perished, a diver also lost his life while working on the wreck.