Italian court convicts 5 Costa Crociere employees of manslaughter in shipwreck that killed 32

GROSSETO, Italy – An Italian court has accepted plea bargains for five Costa Crociere employees in the shipwreck that killed 32 crew and passengers, convicting all of multiple manslaughter and negligence.

The court in Grosseto on Saturday handed down the highest sentence to the crisis co-ordinator for Costa Crociere, Roberto Ferranini, who was sentenced to two years and 10 months. The ship’s hotel director was sentenced to two years and six months while two bridge officers and a helmsman got sentences ranging from one year and eight months to one year and 11 months.

The plea bargains were handled separately from the trial of Costa Concordia captain, who is charged with manslaughter for causing the January 2012 shipwreck off the Tuscan island of Giglio and abandoning the vessel with thousands aboard.