Viareggio train disaster: Supreme Court releases sentencing motivations

The Italian Supreme Court (Corte di Cassazione) has released the detailed motivations behind the final convictions regarding the 2009 Viareggio train disaster, which resulted in 32 deaths. The 54-page document reconstructs the responsibilities of ten defendants, including Mauro Moretti, the former CEO of Ferrovie dello Stato and RFI, who was sentenced to five years in prison.

The judges noted that while each defendant had a different level of causal contribution and degree of fault, they all contributed to a chain of decisions that led to an event of “extraordinary gravity.” The ruling specifically criticized decisions to limit or exclude investments in railway safety sectors despite the defendants' awareness of the heightened risks involved.

Regarding Mauro Moretti, the court clarified that his sentence is neither illegal nor illegitimate, noting that the principle of “reformatio in peius”—which prevents a defendant's position from being worsened during an appeal—was respected. The court emphasized that the protection of human life and physical integrity must prevail over the economic interests of public or private entities.