The appeal-bis trial for the Rigopiano disaster concluded with three convictions, two acquittals, and five prescriptions against various regional officials.
The appeal-bis for the Rigopiano disaster has wrapped up at the Court of Appeals in Perugia, resulting in three individuals being sentenced to two years in prison. The convicted are former regional officials Carlo Visca, Pierluigi Caputi, and Vincenzo Antenucci, who faced accountability for their roles in the incident. In contrast, the former mayor of Farindola, Ilario Lacchetta, and former regional director Sabatino Belmaggio were acquitted on the grounds that their actions did not constitute a crime.
Additionally, five other regional officials received prescriptions, meaning that legal action against them is no longer possible due to the expiry of the statute of limitations. These include former provincial directors Di Blasio and D'Incecco, regional officials Giovani and Primavera, and former municipal technician Colangeli. The prosecuting attorney, Paolo Barlucchi, had initially sought a sentence of three years and ten months for several officials charged with manslaughter and causing the collapse of the Rigopiano hotel, yet many were acquitted in previous trials as well.
The Rigopiano disaster, which occurred in January 2017 when an avalanche buried a hotel in the Abruzzo region, has sparked ongoing legal disputes and controversies regarding negligence and responsibility among local officials. The findings from this appeal continue to highlight the complexity of legal accountability in cases involving disaster response and infrastructure safety in Italy, emphasizing the challenges faced by victims and their families in seeking justice.
