The first legal hearing of the criminal investigation surrounding the recent cruise ship accident of the Costa Concordia was held in a theater, not a courtroom. The number of angry survivors demanding justice and compensation, along with the volume of interested observers led to this unusual legal setting.
Since investigating the data recorder information and conversations among bridge officers could take months, the judge ordered four expert analysts to return with their findings in July 2012. Pending these results, prosecutors must then decide whether to bring formal criminal complaints against the captain, top officers and/or officials at the cruise company, which is owned by Carnival Corp., based in Miami.
While there are already multiple opinions, from passengers and experts that the cruise ship was traveling too fast for its position, while so close to the shore of the rocky Giglio Island, this has yet to be proven. So far, there is little factual data on the conversations, actions and decisions of captain and senior crew preceding the cruise ship accident. The analysis of the onboard data recorder and officer conversations should complete this deadly puzzle.
Passengers and other crew members seeking compensation welcome the in-depth investigation and understand that it will be a lengthy process. Along with 25 recorded deaths, seven others remain missing and presumed dead. Adding to the unusual circumstances, the veteran captain is accused of abandoning ship with many of the 4,200 passengers and crew members still aboard during the botched evacuation. While common practice--for centuries--dictates that a vessel's captain is the last person to abandon ship, in Italy this is the law.
Prosecutors, to date, take the position that the captain steered the vessel too close to the island, and the reef that it struck at inappropriate speed, as a publicity stunt. Investigating the data recorder information and the commands issued by senior officers should paint the true picture of the unfortunate event.
Source: The Seattle Times, "Angry survivors attend first hearing on Italy shipwreck," Frances D'Emilio and Trisha Thomas, March 5, 2012
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