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Costa Concordia officers sentenced for cruise ship disaster

Five officers agree plea bargains on charges of multiple manslaughter, negligence and shipwreck

The capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia lying surrounded by cranes outside Giglio harbour. The huge liner struck a rock outside the port of Giglio in January 2012 and keeled over on to its side, setting off a chaotic night-time evacuation of more than 4,000 passengers and crew. Photograph: Giampiero Sposito/Reuters
The capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia lying surrounded by cranes outside Giglio harbour. The huge liner struck a rock outside the port of Giglio in January 2012 and keeled over on to its side, setting off a chaotic night-time evacuation of more than 4,000 passengers and crew. Photograph: Giampiero Sposito/Reuters
Sat Jul 20 2013 - 12:06

An Italian court gave five officers from the Costa Concordia jail sentences for their role in the cruise ship disaster in which 32 people died, leaving the captain, Francesco Schettino, as the only person still on trial.

The court agreed to plea bargains for the five, who got sentences of between 18 months and two years 10 months for charges of multiple manslaughter, negligence and shipwreck, in exchange for pleading guilty and avoiding a lengthy trial.

None are likely to go to jail as the sentences under two years are suspended, and the longer sentences may be appealed or replaced with community service, judicial sources said.

Reuters