Two officers from the Guardia di Finanza have been sentenced for the deaths of four migrants resulting from the explosion of their boat in 2020. Initially commended for their rescue efforts, the officers have now been convicted by Judge Elvezia Cordasco of the preliminary hearing court in Crotone. The incident occurred on August 30, 2020, in the sea between Praialonga and Simeri, Calabria.
Captain Vincenzo B., who was the commander of the navy’s operative section in Crotone at the time, and Sergeant Andrea N., the commander of the patrol boat involved in the rescue operation, received two-year suspended sentences. They were found guilty of manslaughter and shipwreck, following requests from public prosecutor Pasquale Festa. However, the judge did not proceed with charges against two other finance police officers, Maurizio G. and Giovanni F., who had boarded the migrant dinghy to stabilize it and bring it to port.
The explosion occurred while the officers were towing the ship “Heaven” to the port of Crotone. The vessel, carrying 20 migrants (13 others had disembarked with a smaller tender in Sellia Marina), was intercepted by the Coast Guard of Catanzaro Lido at 7:34 am on August 30, 2020. The Finance Guard took over the operation, deciding to tow the boat with two officers on board. During the towing, an explosion resulted in the deaths of four migrants.
Despite being wounded in the explosion, the officers managed to save several people who had fallen into the water. Andrea N. even dove from the patrol boat to rescue the migrants. However, the court found the officers guilty of negligence, imprudence, and incompetence, concluding that the deaths could have been avoided if the migrants had been transferred to the military boat.
Initially praised for their rescue efforts, the officers soon faced charges and eventual conviction for the tragic outcome of the incident.