Shipwreck Captain In Court; Costa Concordia Captain in Trial Hearing
Justice has begun for those affected by the Costa Concordia disaster.
Francesco Schettino, the 52-year-old ex-cruise ship captain, showed up for court in the Tuscan town of Grosseto.
Schettino is blamed for the massive shipwreck that claimed the lives of 32 people. Now he faces the family and friends of those killed as well as many survivors.
On Monday, dozens of survivors of the Costa Concordia disaster showed up to watch Schettino's opening hearings. The former captain is accused of causing the shipwreck, manslaughter, abandoning ship, failing to alert the coast guard and destroying a natural habitat.
The disaster took place on Jan. 13, off the island of Giglio, when the ship ran into rocks. The hearings are set to determine if a full trial is needed and to find out about Schettino's actions during the disaster.
Schettino was under house arrest until July and was recently fired by Costa Crociere (a division of Carnival Corp.), which he claims was under wrongful termination. According to Italian news agency ANSA, Schettino has denied all accusations and said his actions helped to prevent more deaths. The hearing has been closed to the public and media outlets have gotten their information from the attorneys involved.
The Italian judge is currently viewing the evidence to determine if the captain will go to trial. One piece of evidence is the black box recorder from the Costa Concordia.
Survivors have been giving their heart-wrenching testimonies and many have come to face the person they believe is responsible. One of the survivors came forward in court and told Schettino that the "truth would come out soon." Schettino responded by shaking the survivors hand and saying, "Yes, the truth must be ascertained."
The judge will continue to hear evidence throughout the week to determine if Schettino will go to trial.
