Suvechha Sarkar
On the night of January 13, 2012, what began as a beautiful Mediterranean cruise turned into one of the deadliest maritime disasters when the Costa Concordia cruise ship was wrecked off the coast of Giglio Island in Italy. The tragedy claimed 32 lives, including a 5-year-old child, and left several others injured. Netflix’s ‘Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea’ features several detailed interviews with the survivors, including crew members. The documentary delves deeper into the investigation that led the officials to hold the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, responsible for the disaster. It also features emergency recordings and further investigative insights.
Francesco Schettino’s Choice to Steer Closer to Giglio Island Led to the Shipwreck
Rosa and her partner welcomed their son, Francesco Schettino, into their lives on November 14, 1960, in Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples, Italy. According to reports, he attended a nautical institute in Piano di Sorrento. After beginning his career, he eventually became a security official at Costa Cruises in 2002. Over the years, he gained experience, serving as second-in-command before becoming captain in 2006. By 2012, Francesco was the captain of Costa Concordia. On January 13, 2012, he reportedly decided to steer the vessel toward Giglio Island, located off the coast of Tuscany, Italy, to perform a risky nighttime sail-past salute.
Around 9:45 pm on January 13, the ship struck a reef off the island’s coast with 4,300 people, including passengers and crew members, on board. Sadly, it led to the capsizing of Costa Concordia, resulting in the death of 32 people, including a 5-year-old girl. According to official records, as the investigation into the incident began, many crew members and the coast guard revealed that Francesco abandoned the ship and left the area in a lifeboat before everyone was rescued. Reports state that the vessel’s captain is required to stay on board until the end, but despite the coast guard’s repeated orders, he didn’t comply that night.
Officials Put Francesco Under House Arrest Based on Emergency Messages and Witness Statements
Witnesses claimed that Francesco went off course to impress his lover, Domnica Cemortan, who was also on board, per records. According to court records, the Costa Cruises authorities claimed that the captain was solely responsible and noted that he had deviated from the authorized route. When questioned, Francesco reportedly denied the claims that he had shown off to his lover and insisted that his efforts helped minimize casualties. After officials checked the emergency messages, they reportedly discovered that he initially didn’t tell the coast guard the extent of the damage that the ship had suffered.
According to reports, further investigation revealed that Francesco ordered an evacuation more than 30 minutes after the ship hit the rocks. Digital forensic experts ultimately discovered a black box recording revealing that, although the captain initially asked the Indonesian Helmsman on the ship to steer the vessel in one direction, the latter misunderstood the order. As per official records, the helmsman steered the cruise in another direction before restoring the originally ordered course after about 13 seconds. Unfortunately, shortly after, the ship hit the reef.
In January 2012, the authorities put Francesco under house arrest. He was charged with multiple counts of manslaughter in connection with causing a shipwreck, failing to assist 300 passengers, and failing to be the last to leave the wreck. However, the judge lifted his house arrest but ordered him to stay in his hometown, Castellammare di Stabia. Following his initial charges, Francesco also faced the additional charges of failing to describe to the maritime authorities the extent of the disaster and abandoning incapacitated passengers.
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Francesco Schettino Remains Incarcerated at a Prison in Rome
Besides Francesco, five other crew members, including Roberto Ferrarini, Manrico Giampedroni, Ciro Ambrosio, Jacob Rusli Bin, and Silvia Coronica, were also charged in connection with the disaster. The trial of Francesco commenced in July 2013 in Grosseto, Italy. During the trial, the prosecution argued that the captain deliberately deviated from the approved navigation route and delayed reporting the seriousness of the accident to the maritime authorities. Court records indicate that the prosecution emphasized that Francesco delayed issuing orders for the passenger to evacuate the ship. They further highlighted that the captain left the vessel before evacuation was completed.
On the other hand, the defense contended that other crew members should also share responsibility. When Francesco reportedly took the stand, he alleged that the helmsman’s miscommunication caused the tragedy. On February 11, 2015, he was convicted on multiple counts of manslaughter and all the other charges against him. The captain was sentenced to 16 years in prison, and the court barred him from commanding a ship for 5 years. In April 2016, Francesco appealed his judgment, but the court upheld it in May 2016. The conviction was again affirmed by the court in May 2017. In January 2025, he reportedly petitioned the courts seeking early release from his prison sentence, but no public records report his release.
On the other hand, in July 2013, Roberto pleaded guilty to abandoning a ship and was sentenced to 2 years and 10 months in prison. While Manrico entered a guilty plea to delaying an adequate response and received a 2-year 6-month term, Ciro accepted a guilty plea bargain to directing the ship in the wrong direction, and Jacob pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Silvia reportedly was convicted of multiple charges, including abandoning ship. Ciro, Silvia, and Jacob were sentenced to 1 to 2 years in prison, but none of the five crew members ultimately served their time as their terms were reportedly suspended. Currently, Francesco is serving his sentence at the Rebibbia Prison in Rome, Italy.
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