The trial lasted for 19 months. It only took the judges five hours, however, to determine the sentence for Schettino.
The Captain was charged with causing a disaster at sea, abandoning ship during a disaster, and there were also multiple counts of manslaughter – 32 people died. Schettino faced a possible sentence of 26 years for the charges.
Part of the problem, the captain said, was that the helmsman did not understand English – which they are required to know and speak. He did admit coming too close to shore to impress the passengers, but when he ordered the ship to move away, the helmsman did not understand. The captain also had a female in the control room whom he was romantically involved with.
The shipwreck of the Costa Concordia took place three years ago in January.
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Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/world/costa-concordia-trial/
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Graphics: Mine
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Keywords: Costa Concordia, Francesco Schettino, captain, trial, sentence, 16 years