Francesco Schettino

Francesco Schettino
Born (1960-11-14) November 14, 1960
Castellammare di Stabia
Nationality Italian
Occupation Ship Captain
Employer Costa Cruises (2002–2012)
Known for Captain of Costa Concordia
Spouse(s) Fabiola Russo

Francesco Schettino (Italian pronunciation: [sketˈtiːno]; born November 14, 1960 in Castellammare di Stabia)[1] is an Italian former sea captain who commanded the cruise ship Costa Concordia when it capsized with the loss of 32 passengers and crew off the Italian island of Giglio on January 13, 2012.[2][3]

Professional development

Schettino was born in Castellammare di Stabia into a seafaring family.[1] After he had attended the nautical institute Nino Bixio in Piano di Sorrento,[3] Schettino worked for the ferry company Tirrenia. In 2002 Schettino was hired by Costa Crociere (Costa Cruises), a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. Starting as an official in charge of security, he moved up to become second-in-command.[3] In 2006 Schettino was promoted to captain and given command of the newly launched Costa Concordia.[3]

In 2010 Schettino as captain of the Costa Atlantica entered the port of Warnemünde, Germany, at too high a speed, allegedly causing damage to the AIDAblu, also a Carnival Corporation ship.[4][5]

In 2014 he taught a panic management course at Rome university.[6]

Schettino lives in Meta, in the Province of Naples and is married to Fabiola Russo. He has one daughter.

Costa Concordia disaster

Schettino was the captain in charge of the Costa Concordia when it hit an underwater rock off Giglio on January 13, 2012, and capsized. Thirty-two people lost their lives.[7]

Schettino accepted some degree of responsibility and asked for forgiveness when he talked about those who had died.[3] In 2012, his lawyer, Bruno Leparotti, defended his action and indicated that his maneuver after the collision was “brilliant” and saved lives.[8] In December 2014, his lawyer, Domenico Pepe, just prior to Schettino's testimony, declared that his client wanted to set the record straight and “defend his honor”.

Schettino indicated prior to trial that the underwater rocks the ship hit were uncharted, the helmsman did not speak English or Italian, and that the ship’s generators malfunctioned impeding the rescue effort. Regarding his dry and early departure of the vessel, Schettino had explained that he slipped off the ship when it turned over and fell into a lifeboat.[9]

Treatment in media

Prior to the event from January 13, 2012, Schettino had apparently given only one interview to the media, to the Czech newspaper Dnes in 2010.[3] After the event, Schettino received extensive media coverage being often vilified.

He was dubbed "Captain Coward"[10][11][12] and "Captain Calamity".[5] Others in the press noted that he was a daredevil and prone to insubordination.[13] Schettino was even described as "Italy's most hated man" by the tabloid press.[14][15] At the end of his trial at Grosseto, Schettino indicated that he spent three years "in a media meat grinder.".[16]

However, there had also been speculation, that he was a handy fall guy for the cruise line that disassociated itself from him and must have been aware of the practice of a sail-by salute, even requesting it.[17] Also, Costa had communication with Schettino during the interval between the collision with the rock and the evacuation order; this may have led to a delay in the rescue effort.[12][17]

Position of Costa Cruises

Prior to the trial, Pier Luigi Foschi, at that time chairman of Costa Cruises, put blame on Schettino as being responsible for deviating from the course and getting close to Giglio.[3] Costa Cruises terminated Schettino's employment in 2012.[18] The company declined to pay for his legal defense although it first supported him; instead, after a plea bargain with the prosecution, it became a co-plaintiff in the trial against Schettino.[19]

Legal proceedings

After the accident, Schettino was placed in temporary custody by the prosecutor of Grosseto and released for house arrest on January 17, 2012.[20] On 5 July 2012, Schettino was released from house arrest but mandated to reside in Meta di Sorrento.[21]

Schettino's trial was separated from a trial against five Costa employees, namely Roberto Ferrarini (the company's crisis director, who was found guilty of minimizing the extent of the disaster and delaying an adequate response), cabin service director Manrico Giampedroni, first officer Ciro Ambrosio, helmsman Jacob Rusli Bin, and third officer Silvia Coronica. All pled guilty in a plea bargaining scheme and received jail sentences ranging from 18 months to two years and 10 months. Reuters cited judicial sources as saying none of these individuals were likely to go to jail as sentences less than two years for non-violent offences are routinely suspended in Italy, and longer sentences may be appealed or replaced by community service.[22]

Criminal investigations into any role Costa Cruise may have had in the disaster were closed after the company agreed to pay a fine of €1 million.[19] The company may still be liable for civil damages.[16]

Court of Grosseto trial

The Teatro Moderno was used to conduct the Schettino trial.

On February 23, 2013, the office of the prosecution at Grosseto announced that it had initiated legal proceedings against Schettino. He was accused of multiple manslaughter, causing a maritime accident, abandoning ship with passengers still on board, and lack of cooperation with rescue operations.[23] In the spring of 2014 the trial started at Grosseto where the Teatro Moderno was transformed into a courtroom to handle lawyers of about 250 co-plaintiffs and about 400 scheduled witnesses.[19] While the other parties involved could plea bargain, Schettino's request to strike a plea bargain[19] was denied. By the time Schettino had his first appearance on December 2, 2014, he was left as the sole person to be accused of manslaughter.[24] "Schettino is (now) the only defendant, but he is not the only one responsible," opined Daniele Bocciolini, lawyer for some survivors. "He's not responsible for the lifeboats that couldn't be launched nor for the (failing) emergency generators".[25]

In his defence, Schettino explained that the sail-by salute was intended to pay homage to other mariners and, for business reasons, to present passengers a nice view. He denied that he did this to impress a Moldavian dancer whom he had brought to the bridge.[26] He indicated that his actions saved the lives of many after the ship hit an uncharted rock. Schettino accused some of his crew of misunderstanding and botching his orders. In 2013 he had already indicated that his helmsman, Jacob Rusli Bin, failed to follow his orders and made an error in changing the course of the ship.[15] Further, he blamed defective generators and flooding of compartments for aggravating the situation.[27] His lawyer indicated that it was these malfunctions that led to the fatalities, whereas Schettino did not kill anybody when the ship hit the rock.[24]

At the end of the proceeding, the public prosecutor Magistrate Maria Navarro asked for a jail sentence of 26 years and three months.[27] Confirming the charges, she parsed jail times as follows: 14 years for multiple manslaughter, nine years for causing a shipwreck, three years for abandoning the vessel and three months for failing to contact the authorities when the accident happened.[23] Navarro accused Schettino of lying during the trial as well as in public interviews prior to trial.[27][28] Prosecutor Stefano Pizza stated, "The captain’s duty to be the last person off the ship is not just an obligation dictated by ancient maritime rules, it is also a legal obligation intended to limit the damage to those on the ship."[28]

Schettino's lawyers rebutted the charges and indicated that the disaster was a collective failure for which he should not be made the scapegoat.[16]

On February 11, 2015, after a 19-month trial, Judge Giovanni Puliatti read the verdict sentencing Schettino to 16 years in prison and five years of interdiction from navigating.[29][30] The 16-year verdict is composed of 10 years for manslaughter, five years for causing the shipwreck, and one year for abandoning his passengers.[16]

Response to the verdict

The lawyer of Costa Crociere called the verdict "balanced".[31]

Others criticized the verdict. Survivor groups saw it as too lenient.[32][33] On the other hand, it was also argued that Schettino, while guilty, had been made a scapegoat.[33] According to this view, the disaster was a complex failure, not only involving negligence on part of the captain, but inadequate safety procedures, poor evacuation procedures, communication failures, and technical defects (such as faulty water-tight doors).[33]

Schettino was expected to appeal[16] in which case revision and high court proceedings could have followed so that a final judgment might have to be made at the Court of Cassation in Rome.[34]

An Italian appeals court on May 31, 2016 upheld the 16-year prison sentence. [35]

References

  1. 1 2 "Biography Francesco Schettino". IMDB.com Inc. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  2. ↑ "Francesco Schettino: the cruise captain who sailed into notoriety". CNN. December 2, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Profile: Capt Francesco Schettino". BBC News. July 9, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Costa Capt. Crashed Before: Report". The Daily Beast. March 2, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Nick Pisa, Allan Hall (March 3, 2012). "Captain Calamity had already crashed ANOTHER cruise ship before hitting the rocks in Costa Concordia". Daily Mail. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Capt Francesco Schettino teaches panic management course at Rome university". The Telegraph. August 6, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  7. ↑ Costa Concordia "Captain’s Prison Sentence Upheld by Italian Court", Time, World, Italy, 31 May 2016. Retrieved on 31 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Captain arrested over tragedy". Skynews. January 15, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Captain Francesco Schettino 'refused chance' to return to Costa Concordia". news.com.au. January 28, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino returns to sunken cruise ship". The Guardian. February 27, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Francesco Schettino, Costa Concordia captain, must pay for cowardly actions". NY Daily News. January 19, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Dani Garavelli (January 22, 2012). "Francesco Schettino: coward or conspiracy victim?". The Scotsman. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  13. ↑ Barbie Latza Nadeau (January 18, 2012). "Francesco Schettino, the Costa Concordia's Daredevil Captain". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Concordia captain - Italy's most hated man". IOL News. January 17, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino blames helmsman for accident". news.au. September 23, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Costa Concordia captain Schettino guilty of manslaughter". BBC. February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Cruise ship sinking: Costa chiefs 'insisted' on traditional sail-by salute, claims captain". The Scotsman. January 23, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Unglücks-Kapitän Schettino und Costa-Reederei wetzen ihre Messer". Online Focus. 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2015-02-12.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Annette Langer (July 18, 2013). "Costa Concordia Trial: Captain Schettino's Quest for the Truth". Der Spiegel. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Arresti domiciliari a Schettino". La Repubblica Firenze. 2012-01-17. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  21. ↑ Associated Press (July 5, 2015). "Judge lifts Costa Concordia captain's house arrest". USA Today Travel. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Five guilty in Costa Concordia trial". BBC News. 20 July 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  23. 1 2 "Schettino facing 26 years?". Tradewinds. January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  24. 1 2 "Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino Testifies at Trial". NBC News. December 2, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  25. ↑ Frances D'Emilio (September 9, 2013). "Costa Concordia Trial: Victims' Lawyers Want Answers On Italian Shipwreck". The World Post. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino Testifies at Trial". NBC News. December 2, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  27. 1 2 3 Associated Press (January 26, 2015). "Prosecutor says Costa Concordia captain lied, seeks 26-year sentence for 2012 wreck". foxnews. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  28. 1 2 "Prosecution in Costa Concordia captain recommends sentence". Irish Times. January 26, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  29. ↑ ABC News. "Costa Concordia Captain Found Guilty in Fatal Shipwreck, Sentenced to 16 Years". ABC News. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  30. ↑ http://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2015/02/11/news/concordia_l_ultima_udienza_del_processo_schettino_in_aula_per_la_sentenza-107038150/?ref=HREA-1
  31. ↑ Frances D'Emilio (Associated Press) (February 11, 2015). "Italian Court Jails Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Keine Fluchtgefahr: "Costa Concordia"-Kapitän bleibt auf freiem Fuß" (in German). Der Spiegel. February 12, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  33. 1 2 3 Michael Day (February 15, 2015). "Costa Concordia trial: Was captain Francesco Schettino really the only one at fault for the disaster?". The Independent. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  34. ↑ Udo Gümpel (2014-08-07). "Schettino, der Experte in Schiffsunglücken, ein Unglück für Italien" (in German). RTL Aktuell. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
  35. ↑ Costa Concordia "Captain’s Prison Sentence Upheld by Italian Court", Time, World, Italy, 31 May 2016. Retrieved on 31 May 2016.
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