Concordia captain fails in deal bid over crash

The captain of the Costa Concordia cruise liner that ran aground off Tuscany last year, killing 32 people, has failed in his bid for a plea bargain. Francesco Schettino is accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship before all passengers and crew were evacuated.His lawyer, Francesco Pepe, said Schettino had wanted to defend himself at trial, but when the other defendants all sought plea bargains, his defence team sought one, too. Mr Pepe said prosecutors have agreed to plea bargains for all except Schettino. That means Schettino might be the only defendant if a trial is ordered.

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Costa Concordia captain denied plea bargain in deadly shipwreck

GROSSETO, Italy – Italian prosecutors on Tuesday rejected a plea bargain bid by the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground off Italy last year, killing 32 people, defense lawyers said. Capt. Francesco Schettino is accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship before all 4,200 passengers and crew were evacuated.Defense lawyer Francesco Pepe said Schettino had wanted to defend himself at a trial but when the five other defendants in the shipwreck off the Tuscan coast all sought plea bargains during a closed-door hearing Tuesday, his defense team decided to change strategy.

Costa Concordia captain denied plea bargain in deadly shipwreck Fox News
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Francesco Schettino’s offer to plead guilty in return for a sentence of three years and four months is rejected by prosecutors. Skynews
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Costa Concordia Captain Schettino sought a plea bargain, rejectedDigitalJournal.com
Plea deal for Costa Concordia captain rejected Telegraph

Prosecutors in hot pursuit of Costa Concordia officers

An Italian judge began hearing a request Monday to send the former captain of the Costa Concordia and five other ship’s officers to trial over the accident which sank the liner with the loss of 32 lives in January 2012. Prosecutors are seeking to have the 52-year-old captain, Francesco Schettino, tried on charges including manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship.Both Schettino and the ship’s owners Costa Cruises were heavily criticised over both the accident and the chaotic night-time evacuation of more than 4,000 passengers and crew. Costa paid 1 million euros ($1.31 million) to settle potential criminal charges although the payment did not affect civil lawsuits.

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Italian court to decide on possible charges over 2012 Costa Concordia wreck

CTV NewsGROSSETO, Italy — An Italian court opened a hearing Monday into whether to hand down indictments against the captain and some crew of the Costa Concordia cruise ship for the 2012 grounding off Tuscany that killed 32 people. Prosecutors want Capt. Francesco Schettino to stand trial for alleged manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the ship before all the 4,200 passengers and crew had been evacuated. They want four other crew members and a Costa manager on land to face charges of having botched the emergency.

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Costa Concordia survivors describe ‘Goliath’ fight against cruise industry

msnbc.com (blog)
Shortly after the Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Italy, leaving at least 32 people dead, Costa Cruises began offering settlements to the survivors of the accident. Nancy and Mario Lofaro of New Rochelle, N.Y., said they were offered $14,500 by the cruise line following the Jan. 13 incident.
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Costa Concordia captain taken off house arrest, on town arrest

DigitalJournal.com
The captain of the ill-fated Costa Concordia, the Italian cruise ship that listed and partially sank, Francesco Schettino, was taken off of house arrest but put on a ‘town’ arrest. An Italian magistrate made the change Friday.

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Costa Concordia captain to miss pre-trial hearing

euronews
A pre-trial hearing for the captain of the Costa Concordia will begin in Italy on Saturday. Francesco Schettino, who’s under house arrest, is facing a string of charges including multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship after the vessel capsized in January.At least 25 people died when the cruise liner was steered too close to the shore, by the Mediterranean island of Giglio. Seven more are unaccounted for.
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Italy: Pre-trial hearing into Costa Concordia disaster

euronews
In Italy, all eyes are on a theatre in Tuscany where a preliminary hearing is taking place into the deadly capsizing of the Costa Concordia cruise ship. The building is being used because it can hold more than 1000 people. The man accused of causing the tragedy, Captain Francesco Schettino, is not among them. He remains under house arrest at home near Naples.
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