By Emilio Parodi
GENOA, Italy, July 16 (Reuters) - Judges in Genoa on Thursday were set to deliver their verdict in a trial over the collapse of a motorway bridge in the Italian port city in 2018 which killed 43 people when their vehicles plunged from the flyover.
Relatives of the victims packed the court to hear the outcome of a case that has become a search for accountability for the disaster and a symbol of the slow pace of justice in complex Italian criminal proceedings.
Fifty-seven individuals are on trial, including company executives, engineers and transport ministry officials. The most serious charges include multiple manslaughter and criminal negligence.
After brief opening remarks, the three judges retired to finalise their decisions. They are expected to return around 2 p.m. (1200 GMT).
"I lost my sister, her two children, my brother-in-law and a little dog," said Egle Possetti, a spokesperson for a committee representing victims' families.
"That's what drove me to make sure they get justice and that their deaths were not in vain," she said, outside the courthouse.
VEHICLES PLUNGE FROM BROKEN BRIDGE
The collapse of the then 51-year-old Morandi bridge during a summer storm on the eve of a national holiday shocked Italy and triggered years of investigations into the management and maintenance of its ageing infrastructure.
A 50-metre (160-foot) high section of the bridge collapsed with as many as 35 vehicles driving on it, sending them plunging on to warehouses and a riverbed beneath.
The disaster caused a dispute between holding company Atlantia, controlled by the Benetton family, and the then government that ended with the sale of Atlantia's controlling stake in motorway operator Autostrade per l'Italia.
The defendants include former Atlantia Chief Executive Giovanni Castellucci, managers of Autostrade, engineers from maintenance subsidiary Spea and former transport ministry officials. They have all denied wrongdoing.
For the most serious accusations, Genoa prosecutors sought prison sentences ranging from two years and four months to 18-1/2 years. However, the statute of limitations on many of the lesser charges, such as the forgery of documents, has already passed.
Autostrade and sister company Spea exited the criminal proceedings, having reached a financial settlement in 2022.
CONFLICTING ARGUMENTS
The current head of Autostrade issued an open letter on Wednesday, restating the company's commitment to ensure that such a tragedy is not repeated.
"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," Autostrade CEO Arrigo Giana wrote.
Prosecutors argue that years of inadequate maintenance, ignored warning signs and delayed safety work contributed to the collapse, alleging that vital work was postponed while profits continued to be generated and distributed.
Defence lawyers reject that theory. They argue that the disaster was caused by an original design defect in the bridge's stay cable number nine, the one that failed, and that no maintenance programme could have prevented the tragedy.
(Reporting by Emilio ParodiWriting by Keith Weir; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Alexandra Hudson)
