The Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, assured today in Crotone that the State will do everything it can to compensate the victims of the shipwreck that occurred in Steccato di Cutro last February 26th, which resulted in 94 victims. He emphasized that it is a formal fact, one of those procedural exceptions that are made in judicial contexts, but the State will not turn a blind eye to the situation and will do its part to help the victims.
Piantedosi’s statement came in contrast to what was revealed in the trial against three smugglers of the shipwrecked gulet. In this trial, the Guarantee fund for road victims appeared and opposed being sued as civilly liable. The Fund’s request for exclusion from the trial was based on the argument that the wrecked vessel had not been used for pleasure or public transport and therefore should not be subject to insurance code regulation. The court reserved its decision on this request. The Fund was represented by lawyer Giulia Bongiorno, senator of Lega party.
The Minister’s statement serves as a commitment from Italy’s government to provide support and compensation to those affected by this tragic disaster.