On the night of January 13th, 2012, the Costa Concordia cruise ship was heading off the Italian coast, carrying over 4,200 passengers and crew. However, tragedy struck and the ship crashed into rocks near Giglio Island, causing it to capsize. 32 people sadly lost their lives in this accident and it became one of the most infamous maritime disasters in recent memory.
The captain of the Costa Concordia was Francesco Schettino. After the accident, Schettino was placed under house arrest while he awaited trial for his role in causing the disaster. He was accused of multiple charges including manslaughter and abandoning ship before all passengers had been evacuated.
In 2015, he was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
At first Schettino appealed his conviction but later changed his plea and accepted a plea bargain which reduced his sentence to 10 years. He is currently serving time in a prison near Rome where he is reported to have become a model inmate. He works as a tutor helping other inmates with their studies.
It has been almost 9 years since the Costa Concordia disaster occurred but its effects are still felt today by those affected by it. The wreck of the cruise ship was finally removed from Giglio Island in 2014 after two years of salvage operations. As for Francesco Schettino – he will likely spend several more years in prison before being released from custody.
Conclusion:
What happened to Francesco Schettino, the captain of the ill-fated Costa Concordia cruise ship that sunk off Italy’s coast 9 years ago? After being found guilty on all counts pertaining to this disaster, he was initially sentenced to 16 years in prison but accepted a plea bargain which reduced his sentence to 10 years instead. Currently he is serving time at a prison near Rome where he is reported to have become an exemplary inmate while helping other prisoners with their studies.