One year and eight months for the former prefect of Pescara, Francesco Provolo, one year and four months to his former chief of staff, Leonardo Bianco; the involvement of the technician of the Municipality of Farindola, Enrico Colangeli, to whom the judge imposed two years and eight months. All three were acquitted in the first instance. These are the new elements of the appeal ruling, pronounced yesterday in L’Aquila behind closed doors after a deliberation of about five hours, on the tragedy of the Rigopiano station, annulled by an avalanche on January 18, 2017, the day of the earthquakes. and a tremendous snowfall that killed 29 people and 11 miraculously escaped.
For the rest, the ruling of the Pescara court is confirmed. Therefore, the sentences for the mayor of Farindola Ilario Lacchetta (2 years and 8 months) and for the officials of the road service of the province of Pescara, Paolo D’Incecco and Mauro Di Blasio, 3 years “are maintained.” and 4 months each. . And even those, marginal, for Bruno Di Tommaso, the former director of the resort and Giuseppe Gatto: for both the charge of falsification of a technical report was prescribed, the sentence was reduced from six months to five months and ten days. The 22 acquittals are confirmed.
LANDSCAPE
The anger of the relatives, which triggered the tensions on February 23 in the Pescara court, left room for disappointment with a verdict, signed by the Chamber chaired by Aldo Manfredi, which maintains the scenario of judicial responsibility for the crimes almost unchanged. catastrophes. , leaving out all political levels and the management of the Region who for more than twenty years have participated in the preparation of the avalanche danger map.
Thesis also confirmed by lawyer Gian Domenico Caiazza: «Even for the appeal judges, the prefect has no responsibility either for the tragic death or for the serious injuries suffered by the guests, nor for the infamous accusation of diverting subsequent investigations. Provolo was considered responsible for events that were completely irrelevant to the tragedy.” In this context, the sentence of one year and four months imposed on Leonardo Bianco must also be read, this time for the communication of January 16, 2017 with which it was certified falsely activated the provincial Civil Protection operations room and the Rescue Coordination Center. The other novelty refers to the position of the head of the Technical Office of the Municipality of Farindola, Enrico Colangeli, who was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months for multiple homicide and multiple injuries due to negligence, in “guilty collaboration” with Mayor Lacchetta. To understand the scenarios that open up, we will have to wait to know the reasons for the sentence that will be presented on May 10.
THE AVALANCHES
The contested accusation focuses on a series of behaviors, from the failure to convene the municipal avalanche commission to the technical-urban approval of the expansion of the complex with the wellness center in an area historically the scene of avalanches, to the Do not order the evacuation of the structure due to the serious weather situation. Due to this last circumstance, in particular, Colangeli did nothing to guarantee that the mayor dictated the necessary measures. As mentioned, the other sentences still stand: Mayor Lacchetta as the local civil protection authority, “the only one aware of the risk of avalanches and heavy snowfall in the area” and those responsible for the provincial road service, Paolo D’Incecco and Mauro Di Blasio, for not having cleaned the white blanket on the road that connects Farindola with Rigopiano. However, both of them had their temporary ban on holding public office revoked. What remains recorded is the phone call in which the hotel manager’s request for a snowplow to clear the road was ignored: “He must not break it, tell him to stay calm.” The judge also established the payment of provisional amounts of immediate execution exceeding 1.5 million euros. The sentence confirms the structure of the first degree sentence that demolished the most serious hypotheses of the negligent disaster and identified responsibilities for the enormous number of deaths at the municipal and provincial level. The trial will reach the Supreme Court, and the families of the victims are already announcing a fight.
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