Francesco Schettino

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Wikipedia

Francesco Schettino
Born (1960-11-14) 14 November 1960 (age 65)
Naples, Italy
OccupationFormer shipmaster
EmployerCosta Crociere (2002–2012)
Known forCaptain of Costa Concordia (2006–2012)
SpouseFabiola Russo
Children1
Criminal chargeManslaughter, causing a maritime disaster, abandoning ship with passengers still on board
Penalty16 years in prison
Date apprehended
12 May 2017
(9 years ago)

Costa Concordia, commanded by Captain Francesco Schettino at the time of grounding

Francesco Schettino (Italian pronunciation: [franˈtʃesko sketˈtiːno]; born 14 November 1960)[1] is an Italian former shipmaster who commanded the cruise ship Costa Concordia when the ship struck an underwater rock and capsized off the Italian island of Giglio on 13 January 2012.[2][3] Thirty-two passengers and crew died in the incident.[4] In 2015, he was sentenced to sixteen years in prison for multiple counts of manslaughter, causing a maritime disaster, and abandoning ship, and he began serving his sentence in 2017 after exhausting his appeals.[5][4]

Early life

Francesco Schettino was born in Naples[1] into a seafaring family based in Meta, Campania.[6] He attended the nautical institute Nino Bixio in Piano di Sorrento,[3] then worked for the ferry company Tirrenia.[citation needed]

Career

On 16 April 2002, aged 41, Schettino was hired by Costa Crociere, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation.[7] He initially served as an officer in charge of security and was later promoted to second-in-command.[3] In 2006, Schettino was promoted to captain and given command of the newly launched Costa Concordia.[3][8]

In November 2008, while under his command, Costa Concordia suffered bow damage in Palermo when high winds pushed the ship against the dock; there were no injuries and repairs began soon afterward.[9][10][11]

According to Costa, in 2010, while master of Costa Atlantica, Schettino allegedly damaged another Carnival Corporation ship, AIDAblu, while entering the port of Warnemünde, Germany, at excessive speed; AIDA Cruises later stated that the incident caused no damage.[12][13]

In 2014, two years after the disaster, he delivered a university seminar on panic management in Rome, an appearance that provoked strong controversy among politicians, survivors, and commentators.[14][15]

In 2015, Schettino published a book, Le verità sommerse (transl. The submerged truths), in which he defended his conduct and portrayed himself as acting heroically. The book, controversially dedicated to the victims of the catastrophe, drew criticism from survivors and commentators who argued that he was attempting both to profit from the tragedy and to recast his public image.[16][17]

Costa Concordia disaster

Schettino's actions during the Costa Concordia disaster resulted in a 16-year prison sentence for manslaughter.

Schettino was captain of Costa Concordia on 13 January 2012, when the ship attempted a sail-by salute off Giglio, a maneuver he had previously performed, including at Giglio itself. The ship struck an underwater rock, partially capsized and listed to starboard, leading to 32 deaths among passengers and crew.[4] Media reports suggested that he was distracted by Moldovan dancer Domnica Cemortan, who was present on the bridge and later acknowledged both her presence and an affair with Schettino.[18]

Schettino later stated that he brought the vessel close to shore to perform a sail-by salute intended both to honor local mariners and to give passengers a better view, claiming he was navigating largely by sight because he knew the route well.[19][20] Costa Cruises later stated that he failed to follow the company’s authorized route for such sail-by maneuvers.[21] Schettino publicly accepted some responsibility and asked for forgiveness when speaking about the victims.[3]

In 2012, his lawyer Bruno Leporatti described Schettino’s post‑collision maneuvering as “brilliant”, arguing that his actions brought the vessel closer to shore and thereby saved lives.[22] Ahead of Schettino’s testimony in December 2014, another lawyer, Domenico Pepe, said his client wished to “set the record straight” and “defend his honour”.[23]

Schettino argued that the rock formation the ship struck was uncharted, that the helmsman had language difficulties, and that generator failures hindered the rescue.[24] He also maintained that he left the ship only when it rolled and that he “fell” into a lifeboat.[25]

A widely reported recorded conversation between Schettino and Gregorio de Falco, the on‑duty Italian Coast Guard commander, captured de Falco repeatedly ordering him to return to the ship, rejecting his explanation that he had accidentally ended up in a lifeboat and could not return because it was dark and the boat had stopped moving.[26][27] During the exchange, de Falco’s exclamation, "Vada a bordo, cazzo!" (“Get back on board, for fuck’s sake!”), became emblematic of public outrage over Schettino’s conduct.[28]

Giglio police officer Carlo Galli later recounted that he found Schettino onshore, offered him a dinghy to return to the ship, and observed that the captain’s clothes were dry despite his claim to have fallen into a lifeboat.[29]

Treatment in media

Schettino was heavily criticized in international media coverage and was widely nicknamed "Captain Coward" and "Captain Calamity".[30][31] Some commentators portrayed him as a daredevil prone to insubordination.[32] Tabloid coverage sometimes described him as "Italy's most hated man".[33][34] At the end of his trial in Grosseto, Schettino said that he had spent three years in what he called a "media meat grinder".[35]

Some reporting and commentary focused on his personal style of command, suggesting a pattern of risk‑taking behavior and highlighting earlier allegations of close‑to‑shore approaches and unofficial "salutes".[32][36]

Costa Cruises maintained communication with Schettino between the collision and the formal evacuation order, and some sources argued that these exchanges may have contributed to delays in the rescue response.[36][37] Other reconstructions of events noted that Schettino did not contact Costa during the first fifteen minutes after impact, so any later conversations could not have prevented him from issuing a mayday or promptly ordering an evacuation.[38] He was also reported to have downplayed the seriousness of the situation to the coast guard and to have directed passengers away from muster stations, further delaying evacuation.[39]

Although there were early suspicions that Schettino might have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, toxicology tests carried out the night of the disaster were negative.[40]

After the incident, Schettino was placed in temporary custody by the prosecutor of Grosseto and moved to house arrest on 17 January 2012.[41] On 5 July 2012 he was released from house arrest but ordered to reside in Meta di Sorrento.[42]

Before the trial began, Costa chairman Pier Luigi Foschi publicly blamed the captain for deviating from the planned course and bringing the ship dangerously close to Giglio, and the company dismissed Schettino in 2012.[3][43] Costa declined to fund his legal defence, and after a plea bargain with prosecutors the company joined the proceedings as a co‑plaintiff.[44]

Schettino’s trial was separated from that of five Costa employees:

  • Roberto Ferrarini – the company’s crisis director, later convicted of minimizing the scale of the disaster and delaying an adequate response
  • Manrico Giampedroni – cabin service director
  • Ciro Ambrosio – first officer
  • Jacob Rusli Bin – helmsman, the only non‑Italian defendant
  • Silvia Coronica – third officer

All five entered plea bargains and received prison sentences ranging from 18 months to two years and ten months.[45] A separate criminal investigation into Costa’s potential liability was closed when the company agreed to pay a fine of €1 million, although it remained exposed to civil damages.[44][35]

Court of Grosseto trial

On 23 February 2013, prosecutors in Grosseto formally brought charges against Schettino. He was accused of multiple counts of manslaughter, causing a maritime accident, abandoning ship with passengers still on board, and failing to cooperate with rescue efforts.[46] The trial was held in Grosseto’s main theater, which was converted into a courtroom to accommodate lawyers for approximately 250 co‑plaintiffs and around 400 scheduled witnesses.[44]

While other defendants were able to negotiate plea bargains, a similar request by Schettino was denied.[44] His legal team argued that he was being made a scapegoat and that responsibility should also extend to the helmsman, Costa’s shore‑side management, and the Italian coast guard.[5] By the time he gave his first testimony on 2 December 2014, he was the only person still standing trial for manslaughter.[47] Some survivors’ representatives similarly argued that systemic failures in ship design, safety procedures, and emergency equipment went beyond the captain’s individual actions.[48]

In court, Schettino reiterated that the sail‑by salute was intended as a tribute to fellow seafarers and as a marketing gesture for passengers, and he denied that the maneuver was carried out to impress Cemortan, who had boarded as a non‑paying passenger and later confirmed their affair.[47] He insisted that his actions after the impact saved many lives and claimed that some crew members misunderstood his orders.[34] He and his defence also pointed to malfunctioning generators, flooding of several watertight compartments, and alleged technical problems as aggravating factors that contributed to the scale of the disaster.[49][47]

Prosecutor Maria Navarro requested a 26‑year and three‑month prison sentence, broken down as fourteen years for multiple manslaughter, nine years for causing a shipwreck, three years for abandoning ship, and three months for failing to promptly inform the authorities.[49][46] Navarro accused him of lying both in public interviews and during the proceedings.[49][50] Fellow prosecutor Stefano Pizza emphasized that the long‑standing expectation that a captain be the last to leave a stricken vessel is both a cultural norm and a legal obligation intended to minimize casualties.[50] Schettino’s lawyers denied the charges and reiterated their view that the disaster represented a collective failure in which the captain was unfairly singled out.[35]

On 11 February 2015, after a 19‑month trial, Judge Giovanni Puliatti sentenced Schettino to sixteen years’ imprisonment and five years of interdiction from navigating.[51][52] The term consisted of ten years for manslaughter, five years for causing the shipwreck, and one year for abandoning passengers, to be served consecutively.[35]

Response to the verdict

Costa’s lawyer described the verdict as "balanced",[53] but some survivors’ associations and commentators considered the sentence too lenient in light of the number of deaths.[54][35] Other analyses argued that while Schettino bore primary criminal responsibility, he was also used as a scapegoat for wider failures in ship design, safety management, and emergency planning.[55]

On 31 May 2016, an Italian appeals court upheld the original conviction and sentence.[4] Schettino appealed further to Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation, which confirmed the verdict on 12 May 2017. Following that ruling, he reported to Rome’s Rebibbia prison to begin serving his term.[56][57]

In April 2025, approximately ten years after his conviction, Schettino withdrew a request for day‑release after reportedly failing to secure a suitable work placement required under Italian semi‑liberty rules.[58]

Personal life

On the night of the collision, 26‑year‑old Moldovan dancer Domnica Cemortan was present with Schettino on the bridge and later testified that the two were involved in an extramarital affair.[59] Before beginning his prison sentence, Schettino lived in Meta in the Province of Naples. He is married to Fabiola Russo, with whom he has one daughter.[60]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Biography Francesco Schettino". Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  2. ↑ "Francesco Schettino: the cruise captain who sailed into notoriety". CNN. 2 December 2014. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Profile: Capt Francesco Schettino". BBC News. 9 July 2012. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Chan, Melissa (31 May 2016). Costa Concordia "Captain’s Prison Sentence Upheld by Italian Court", Time. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Costa Concordia captain hands himself into prison". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  6. ↑ Ward, Victoria (18 January 2012). "Costa Concordia: Captain Francesco Schettino's home town comes out to support him". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "'Get back on board!': the cruise ship captain afraid of the dark". Yahoo News. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  8. ↑ Ministry of Infrastructures and Transports – Marine Casualties Investigative Body. "Cruise Ship Costa Concordia – Marine casualty on January 13, 2012 – Report on the safety technical investigation" (PDF). p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "At least 3 dead as cruise ship runs aground; captain arrested". The New York Post. Associated Press. 14 January 2012. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  10. ↑ "Cruise liner damaged after leaving Malta". The Times of Malta. 23 November 2008. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  11. ↑ "Costa Concordia search operation resumes (underwater video)". BBC News Online. 12 January 2012. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "Costa Capt. Crashed Before: Report". The Daily Beast. 2 March 2012. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  13. ↑ "Hatte Schettino schon einmal einen Unfall? Aida widerspricht". Augsburger Allgemeine. 3 March 2012. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  14. ↑ "Capt Francesco Schettino teaches panic management course at Rome university". The Telegraph. 6 August 2014. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  15. ↑ "Costa Concordia captain's lecture sparks outrage". BBC News. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  16. ↑ "Anger over captain's book dedication". The Local Italy. 25 June 2015. Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "Francesco Schettino profits from Costa Concordia disaster with book release". Crew Center. 21 June 2015. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  18. ↑ Neuman, Scott (29 October 2013). "Woman On Bridge Of Costa Concordia Says She Was Captain's Lover". NPR. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  19. ↑ Little, Becky (23 June 2021). "The Costa Concordia Disaster: How Human Error Made It Worse". HISTORY. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  20. ↑ "Costa Concordia: Captain Schettino tried to 'impress'". BBC News. 1 December 2014. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  21. ↑ Le Teace, Emma (10 April 2021). "What Happened to The Captain of The Costa Concordia? - Conviction and Sentence". Emma Cruises. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  22. ↑ "Captain arrested over tragedy". Skynews. 15 January 2012. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  23. ↑ Latza Nadeau, Barbie; Smith-Spark, Laura (2 December 2014). "Costa Concordia captain combative, defiant as he testifies at trial". CNN. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  24. ↑ "Captain Francesco Schettino 'refused chance' to return to Costa Concordia". news.com.au. 28 January 2014. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  25. ↑ "Terror at Sea - The Sinking of the Costa Concordia" (Documentary). Channel 4 (UK). 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  26. ↑ "Key dates in Costa Concordia shipwreck, trial and cleanup". AP NEWS. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  27. ↑ "Telephone call between Costa Concordia Captain and Italian Coast Guard (ENGLISH SUB)". YouTube. 18 January 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  28. ↑ "Profile: Capt Francesco Schettino". BBC News. 9 July 2012. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  29. ↑ "Costa captain defends failure to stay on stricken ship". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  30. ↑ "Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino returns to sunken cruise ship". The Guardian. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  31. ↑ "Francesco Schettino, Costa Concordia captain, must pay for cowardly actions". New York Daily News. 19 January 2012. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  32. 1 2 Latza Nadeau, Barbie (18 January 2012). "Francesco Schettino, the Costa Concordia's Daredevil Captain". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  33. ↑ "Concordia captain – Italy's most hated man". IOL News. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  34. 1 2 "Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino blames helmsman for accident". news.com.au. 23 September 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 "Costa Concordia captain Schettino guilty of manslaughter". BBC. 11 February 2015. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  36. 1 2 Dani Garavelli (22 January 2012). "Francesco Schettino: coward or conspiracy victim?". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  37. ↑ "Cruise ship sinking: Costa chiefs 'insisted' on traditional sail-by salute, claims captain". The Scotsman. 23 January 2012. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  38. ↑ "Terror at Sea - The Sinking of the Costa Concordia" (Documentary). Channel 4 (UK). 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  39. ↑ "Terror at Sea - The Sinking of the Costa Concordia" (Documentary). Channel 4 (UK). 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  40. ↑ "New Accusations For Concordia Captain Schettino: Drugs, Prostitution On Past Ships". Worldcrunch. 1 March 2012. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  41. ↑ "Arresti domiciliari a Schettino". La Repubblica Firenze. 17 January 2012. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  42. ↑ "Judge lifts Costa Concordia captain's house arrest". USA Today Travel. Associated Press. 5 July 2015. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  43. ↑ "Unglücks-Kapitän Schettino und Costa-Reederei wetzen ihre Messer". Online Focus. 10 October 2012. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  44. 1 2 3 4 Langer, Annette (18 July 2013). "Costa Concordia Trial: Captain Schettino's Quest for the Truth". Der Spiegel. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  45. ↑ "Five guilty in Costa Concordia trial". BBC News. 20 July 2013. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  46. 1 2 "Schettino facing 26 years?". Tradewinds. 27 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  47. 1 2 3 "Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino Testifies at Trial". NBC News. 2 December 2014. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  48. ↑ Frances D'Emilio (9 September 2013). "Costa Concordia Trial: Victims' Lawyers Want Answers On Italian Shipwreck". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  49. 1 2 3 "Prosecutor says Costa Concordia captain lied, seeks 26-year sentence for 2012 wreck". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. 26 January 2015. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  50. 1 2 "Prosecution in Costa Concordia captain recommends sentence". Irish Times. 26 January 2015. Archived from the original on 27 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  51. ↑ "Costa Concordia Captain Found Guilty in Fatal Shipwreck, Sentenced to 16 Years". ABC News. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  52. ↑ "Naufragio Concordia, Francesco Schettino condannato a 16 anni. Ma non va in carcere". repubblica.it. 11 February 2015. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  53. ↑ Frances D'Emilio (Associated Press) (11 February 2015). "Italian Court Jails Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  54. ↑ Day, Michael (15 February 2015). "Costa Concordia trial: Was captain Francesco Schettino really the only one at fault for the disaster?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  55. ↑ Day, Michael (15 February 2015). "Costa Concordia trial: Was captain Francesco Schettino really the only one at fault for the disaster?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  56. ↑ "Costa Concordia captain's sentence upheld by Italy court". BBC News. 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  57. ↑ Balmer, Crispian (12 May 2017). "Top Italian court upholds conviction of Costa Concordia captain". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  58. ↑ NN (8 April 2025). "Schettino withdraws request for day release". ANSA English. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  59. ↑ Squires, Nick (29 October 2013). "Costa Concordia trial: I was captain's lover, admits Moldovan dancer". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  60. ↑ "Wife of Italian Cruise Captain Calls Treatment of Husband 'Shameful'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2022.