Costa Concordia captain Schettino guilty of manslaughter - BBC News BBC News Costa Concordia captain Schettino guilty of manslaughter 11 February 2015 Close share panel Media captionProsecutors called Schettino "a reckless idiot", as Matthew Price reports The captain of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia has been found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Captain Francesco Schettino was on the bridge when the ship hit rocks and sank in 2012, killing 32 people. He was accused of taking the liner too close to the shore and then abandoning ship with passengers and crew still on board. Schettino denied the charges and said he was being made a scapegoat. His lawyers had argued that it was a collective failure of the ship's crew and others should share the blame for the disaster. Schettino was not present when Judge Giovanni Puliatti read out the verdict at the court in the city of Grosseto. The 54-year-old is expected to appeal against the verdict.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The 290m-long vessel was too close to shore when it struck rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio Image copyright Reuters Image caption Schettino complained that he had spent the last three years "in a media meat grinder" Earlier, the captain had made an emotional final appeal to the judge on the last day of the 19-month trial. Schettino sobbed as he told the court he had spent the last three years "in a media meat grinder". "All the responsibility has been loaded on to me with no respect for the truth or for the memory of the victims," he said. Prosecutors had sought a 26-year jail term but the court sentenced Schettino to 10 years for multiple manslaughter, five years for causing the shipwreck and one year for abandoning his passengers. Investigators had severely criticised his handling of the disaster, accusing him of bringing the 290m-long vessel too close to shore when it struck rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio. The ship was ripped open when it hit the shore and more than 4,000 passengers and crew were forced into a chaotic evacuation.

Disaster timeline 13 Jan 2012: Costa Concordia runs aground Jul 2013: Capt Schettino goes on trial for multiple manslaughter and abandoning ship Jul 2013: Five crew jailed for manslaughter for up to two years and 10 months Jul 2014: Costa Concordia refloated and towed to Genoa Salvaging the Costa Concordia Schettino said he had taken the ship so close to land for "commercial reasons" in a bid to please his passengers and those ashore. He had also rejected rumours that he had wanted to impress his lover, Domnica Cemortan, who was with him at the helm. Costa Crociere, the company that owned the ship, sidestepped potential criminal charges in 2013 by agreeing to pay a $1.3m (€1.1m; £860,000) fine. It is being sued by survivors, the Tuscany region and Giglio island for further damages.

Five other employees, including the helmsman, were handed prison sentences ranging from 18 months to two years and 10 months in plea bargains concluded early in the investigation. Schettino's request for a plea bargain was turned down. Francesco Schettino: the captain who refused to return to ship | World news | The Guardian Costa Concordia Francesco Schettino: the captain who refused to return to ship Evidence suggests that, after the Costa Concordia ran aground, the skipper first went into denial and then fell to pieces Tuesday 17 January 2012 14.47 EST First published on Tuesday 17 January 2012 14.47 EST Close This article is 5 years old With his thick black hair and deep tan, captain Francesco Schettino might have stepped straight out of a scene from the 1970s cruise-liner sitcom The Love Boat. The handsome Italian skipper must have prompted more than a few sighs from lonely divorcees on voyages like the one that ended so violently and abruptly on the rocks of Giglio last Friday night. But Schettino is no matinee-idol matelot.

He is widely admired for his professional abilities. But new evidence suggests that, in the hours after the Costa Concordia ran aground, he first went into denial and then fell to pieces. Recordings of radio and telephone calls made by Italian coastguards indicate that they were twice assured the vessel was suffering from only a "small technical failure", that Schettino claimed the evacuation was almost complete when it had scarcely begun, and that he abandoned ship long before the last of his passengers. "No. I'm not on board because the bows of the ship are coming up. We've abandoned her," he tells an incredulous coastguard, who replies: "What do you mean? You've abandoned ship?" Schettino then appears to do a volte face: "No. No way have I abandoned ship. I'm here." In one recording, carried by the website of La Repubblica newspaper and made at 1.46am, Schettino speaks indistinctly, as if he was either in tears or had come close to breaking down. He is heard protesting and imploring as the coastguard, Gregorio De Falco, orders him unsuccessfully to return to his vessel. "You go aboard. It is an order.

Don't make any more excuses. You have declared 'abandon ship'," says De Falco. "What do you want to do?" asks De Falco at one point. "Go home?" The recordings reveal a man apparently out of control, incapable of displaying the kind of decisiveness needed from a ship's captain in ordinary circumstances, let alone a disaster such as this. Brought before a magistrate , Schettino reportedly protested that he had not abandoned ship, and that he had saved hundreds and perhaps thousands of passengers' lives. The magistrate agreed to his leaving prison for house arrest. Costa Cruises declined to provide biographical information about its employee. But it is known that Schettino comes from one of the most beautiful coastlines on earth. According to different accounts, he was born 52 years ago, either at Castellammare di Stabia, a notoriously mafia-ridden town south of Naples, or a few miles away along the Sorrento peninsula at Meta, which is where his family lives now. His mother's family, the Cafieros, were shipowners going back generations. His father, Luigi, was born inland near Caserta. But at any early age he moved to the breathtakingly beautiful Amalfi Coast.

Schettino grew up looking out to sea. And both he and his brother, Salvatore, decided to make their living as seafarers. His sister Giulia told the Naples daily Il Mattino: "[Francesco] loves the sea. He has always worked as an officer. He has a long career behind him." She said he had begun his career with the ferry company Tirrenia, then worked for the petroleum group Agip before joining Carnival, the US-based firm whose stable of distinguished brands includes P&O, Cunard and Holland America. Schettino joined its Mediterranean cruises arm, Costa, in 2002. After a spell as a second-in-command he was promoted to the rank of captain and in 2006 his career reached a new peak when he was handed command of the newly launched, 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia. For the superstitious, it was to prove a dubious gift. A homemade video of the launch shows that the bottle of champagne failed initially to break on its bows – a bad omen that, as can be heard on the video, prompted cries of dismay from those watching the ceremony.

In November 2008 the ship was involved in an earlier mishap. It sustained a gash running aft from the bows while entering Palermo during bad weather. No one was hurt. But, if Schettino was in command at the time, the incident seems to have done nothing to dent his standing. Many people continue to believe that the true story has yet to come out. A Facebook page, In support of Francesco Schettino, captain of the Costa Concordia , had by late on Tuesday afternoon attracted more than 2,600 endorsements. "Courage, Captain", wrote Angela Patriciello. By way of explanation she added: "I crossed the Atlantic with him." Rosa Cappiello thought he was a "great captain". And Daniel Banga felt Schettino "with his professionalism saved hundreds of passengers". Indeed, his initial reaction to the disaster that befell the Costa Concordia on Friday was entirely consistent with the faith placed in him. He skillfully turned the liner around and brought it to rest on the rocks of a headland so as to make a rescue operation easier. The cool way in which he appears to have handled the initial emergency is hard to square with his subsequent conduct.

In a quote that may come back to haunt him, Schettino told a Czech journalist last year: "I enjoy moments when something unpredictable happens; when you can diverge a bit from standard procedures." In the only interview he is known to have given, to the daily Dnes, he said: "I wouldn't like to be in the role of the captain of the Titanic, having to sail in an ocean of icebergs." But he added reassuringly: "These days everything is much safer. It is easier to navigate thanks to modern technical instruments and the internet." Investigators urged to consider role of ship's owners in incident as salvage experts begin pumping out fuel from wreck Published: 24 Jan 2012 Witness claims captain's concentration was disturbed by conversation with visitor on bridge at moment of impact Published: 23 Jan 2012 Francesco Schettino's transgression on the night the Costa Concordia went down was enormous.

But those who know seafaring will take pity on him, writes Ian Jack Published: 20 Jan 2012 The wrecked cruise liner faces an uncertain future as officials try to prevent an environmental disaster off the coast of Italy Published: 20 Jan 2012 Captain on trial: Costa Concordia's Francesco Schettino - BBC News BBC News Captain on trial: Costa Concordia's Francesco Schettino 11 February 2015 Close share panel Image copyright Reuters Image caption Capt Schettino maintains that he saved lives by steering the stricken ship to shallow water Capt Francesco Schettino has been found guilty of multiple manslaughter in Italy and sentenced to 16 years in jail for his role in one of the country's worst maritime disasters. Thirty-two people died when the cruise ship hit rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio in January 2012 and tipped on to its side. Capt Schettino was also convicted of causing the shipwreck and abandoning ship before his passengers, earning him the title "Captain Coward" in the Italian media. He has accepted some responsibility but denies the criminal charges, arguing that he has been made a scapegoat for the tragedy.

While a prosecutor condemned him as a "careless idiot", Capt Schettino has long maintained his actions after the ship ran aground prevented a much greater loss of life. Born in 1960 in the southern coastal town of Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples, Capt Schettino has lived a life dominated by the sea. He attended a nautical institute in the nearby town of Piano di Sorrento and then joined Costa Cruises in 2002, initially as an official in charge of security. In 2006, he was promoted from second-in-command to captain. Disaster timeline Salvaging the Costa Concordia Evacuation chaos Capt Schettino was singled out for blame by the official report into the sinking of the Costa Concordia, almost a floating city with its 4,300 passengers and crew members. It alleged he deliberately changed course to perform a risky night-time sail-past salute to people on the tiny island of Giglio. He told his trial he "wanted to kill three birds with one stone": to please the passengers, salute a retired captain on Giglio and do a favour to the vessel's head waiter, who was from the island.

He has rejected rumours that he had wanted to impress his lover, Domnica Cemortan, with him at the helm. As details of the unplanned change of course emerged, ship owner Costa Cruises distanced itself from the captain who, it said, had made "serious errors of judgement" and carried out a manoeuvre "unauthorised, unapproved and unknown to Costa". The captain told the court that he had been been sacrificed to safeguard "economic interests", arguing that the court should be considering an entire organisation rather than one man. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Francesco Schettino was made captain in 2006 In a TV interview given hours after the ship ran aground, Mr Schettino's shock and disbelief was clear as he told reporters the rocks had not been shown on his charts. "We were about 300 metres from the rocks, more or less, we shouldn't have hit anything." Widely vilified in Italy for leaving his ship while passengers were still on board, Capt Schettino's reputation was further damaged when transcripts suggested he had not told the coastguard initially of the gravity of the damage to the ship.

"Listen Schettino, perhaps you have saved yourself from the sea, but I will make you look very bad. I will make you pay for this. Dammit, go back on board!" says Coastguard Capt Gregorio De Falco, repeatedly ordering him to return to the ship. Image copyright AP Image caption Capt Schettino was arrested after the Costa Concordia sank Speaking by radio from a lifeboat, Capt Schettino said he was co-ordinating the rescue from there, pleading at one point: "Do you realise that it is dark and we can't see anything?" The coastguard shouts back: "So, what do you want to do, to go home, Schettino?! It's dark and you want to go home? Go to the bow of the ship where the ladder is and tell me what needs to be done, how many people there are, and what they need! Now!" A taxi driver who says he took the captain to a hotel the morning after the sinking said the captain had asked only where he could buy some socks.

Media captionCosta Cruises CEO Pier Luigi Foschi: "He [the captain] decided to change the course of the ship" "He looked like a beaten dog, cold and scared," the taxi driver said. Capt Schettino has accepted some degree of responsibility, asking for forgiveness in a television interview in 2012 as he talked of those who died. He said he blamed himself for being "distracted" but said that he had not been on the bridge when the ship ran aground. In the interview, he broke down when asked about the youngest of the 32 victims, a five-year-old girl. As the accusations against Capt Schettino grew, there were those who came to his defence, including sailors, who agreed with his assertion that his decision to steer the ship towards shallower waters had probably saved dozens of lives. His defence lawyers accused the prosecution of focusing on him while offering plea bargains to five co-defendants, jailed in July 2013 for up to two years and 10 months. According to an interview in Naples-based Il Mattino newspaper quoting his sister, the first person Capt Schettino called after the incident was his 80-year-old mother, Rosa.

"He called her at five in the morning on Saturday to tell her there had been a disaster, that he had tried to save as many passengers as possible and not to worry, because it was all over," she said.

As he asked for a 26-year sentence, prosecutor Stefano Pizza listed all the mistakes Capt Schettino had made and said: "May God have pity on Schettino, because we cannot." Image copyright (C) British Broadcasting Corporation Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino claimed 'blackout caused ship wreck' | Daily Mail Online Costa Concordia captain ‘tried to convince head of crisis team that devastating shipwreck was caused by blackout' Francesco Shettino was in command of Costa Concordia when it sank He allegedly asked the ship's head of crisis unit to help him cover tracks Wanted to tell authorities power outage had caused collision, court heard Cruise liner sank off coast of Tuscany in January 2012, killing 32 people Captain on trial in Grosseto for mass manslaughter and abandoning ship Francesco Schettino, 'Captain Coward' of Costa Concordia, Should Get 26 Years, Court Told Francesco Schettino, 'Captain Coward' of Costa Concordia, Should Get 26 Years, Court Told By Clyde Hughes | Tuesday, 27 Jan 2015 07:36 AM Close A A Francesco Schettino, dubbed "Captain Coward" by

 the media after abandoning his cruise ship Costa Concordia when it crashed onto rocks off Tuscany in 2012, should serve 26 years in prison, prosecutors demanded at his trial.

Schettino is being tried for manslaughter in the Jan. 13, 2012 incident, along with abandoning ship while many of his passengers and crew were still on board fighting for their lives, according to the Daily Mail . "Francesco Schettino has lied to everyone, to the press, to the court, to the maritime authorities," prosecutor Maria Navarro told the Italian court conducting the trial in her closing argument, according to Agence France-Presse . "He has never accepted responsibility (and) no elements have emerged in his favor." Navarro said that Schettino "'thought only and always about himself," at the time of the accident, never apologized to the victims and then left the Costa Concordia "without even getting his shoes wet," noted the Daily Mail. The prosecutor argued that her sentence was not "exaggerated" for the alleged crime and urged the court to take Schettino back into custody before the verdict. The Daily Mail reported that five other Costa Concordia ship employees indicted in the case entered plea bargains agreements and none served prison time. Schettino has claimed in court that by steering the cruise ship to shore after it hit rocks actually saved lives and that his crew incorrectly followed his directions, noted the Daily Mail.

The former ship captain also blamed malfunctioning generators on the ship for contributing to the accident. The ex-captain told the court that he delayed calling for help because he knew the wind would guide the ship towards land and that was forced to abandon ship after he fell off when the Costa Concordia tilted, throwing him into a lifeboat which carried him ashore, according to The Telegraph . Schettino's defense will respond to Navarro's closing argument starting Feb. 9. A verdict is expected from the Italian court shortly after the defense closes. Related Stories: Costa Concordia Captain: I’m A Scapegoat For Carnival Cruise Lines - The Daily Beast EXCLUSIVE Costa Concordia Captain: I’m A Scapegoat For Carnival Cruise Lines The captain of the cruise ship whose crash claimed 32 lives tells The Daily Beast that he is being thrown under the bus by Carnival Cruise Lines in order to secure an insurance windfall.

Barbie Latza Nadeau 03.11.14 5:00 PM ET Francesco Schettino, the erstwhile captain of the ill-fated Costa Concordia cruise ship that crashed off the shores of Giglio island in January 2013, says he alone is being blamed for the accident so Costa and its parent company, Carnival, can collect insurance money for the wrecked vessel. The insurance payout for the wreck is expected to top $2 billion according to Lloyds of London and Munich Reinsurers, which have issued cost-study reports on the disaster. “Since the beginning, they have searched for a way to put all the blame on me, saying the captain went crazy for a moment, not to forfeit the insurance money,” Schettino told The Daily Beast in an exclusive interview in the courthouse in Grosseto on Tuesday.

“It didn’t take long to figure out that it would all be better if the responsibility rested with just one person rather than the whole company.” The former head of Costa Cruiselines, Pier Luigi Foschi, testified as a prosecution witness at the trial on Monday, telling the court that neither Costa nor Carnival bear any responsibility whatsoever for the captain’s errant actions before, during or after the disaster. “The company is not responsible for what happens on board the ship,” Foschi told the court. “For us, the ship should have never been in that place at that time on that night. We entrust the ship captain with full responsibility for the ships.” Schettino is facing charges of multiple manslaughter, abandoning ship and causing a maritime disaster in the accident that killed 32 people and injured dozens more. Five Costa Cruise officials have already pled guilty to manslaughter for negligence in the accident, including two witnesses who failed to show up at Tuesday’s hearing. Manrico Giampedroni, who was the ship’s hotel director, spent more than 48 hours trapped in a half-submerged restaurant, staying awake by drinking Coca Cola from cans that floated by. He pled guilty to manslaughter charges and received a two-and-a-half-year sentence.

He did not attend Tuesday’s hearing because Costa has redeployed him on a new cruise ship and he won’t be back on shore until April 11. The ship’s helmsman Jacob Rusli Bin, who also pled guilty to manslaughter in exchange for a sentence of one year and eight months, also failed to answer a subpoena to testify. He was “unreachable” and believed to be living in Jakarta, Indonesia, according to the Grosseto court clerk. Maria Navarro, one of Schettino’sdefense lawyers hypothesized that the helmsman, whom Schettino says misinterpreted his orders and turned the ship the wrong way when it hit the rocks off Giglio, “might actually be in a psychiatric hospital.” The two are rescheduled to testify in April. “Most likely Costa is forcing them to stay away from the trial as part of a conspiracy to blame me,” Schettino told The Daily Beast.

“They will say and do anything not to blame the whole team because if the whole team is found ultimately responsible, it reflects negatively on the cruiseship management, which would impact the insurance payout.” Schettino maintains that while he made the first fatal error to take the Concordia off course to do a fly-by salute near Giglio, the events that followed were those that contributed to the loss of life. His defense team has argued in court that the ship’s watertight doors and emergency generators malfunctioned and that had the ship functioned properly, he would have been able to navigate it to a safer place for evacuation. He also says that the decision to delay the evacuation was a team decision, not his alone. Based on phone records from Schettino’s private cellphone filed in court, the captain was on the phone at least a dozen times to Roberto Ferrarini, head of Costa’s crisis unit in Genova, between the moment of impact and the call to abandon ship. Ferrarini, who will testify on April 14, also took a plea bargain, pleading guilty to manslaughter in exchange for a sentence of two years and 10 months.

Schettino reportedly asked Ferrarini about getting a tugboat and some helicopters to avoid having tomake the ‘abandon ship’ call, which automatically triggers a refund for passenger tickets. Schettino told The Daily Beast he is the scapegoat for Costa and its parent company Carnival. “They were all there, but it is apparently better to just blame me when the whole team is responsible. I was only there for the last three minutes,” he said, referring to his physical presence on the bridge just as the Concordia clipped the rocks off Giglio. “This is a conspiracy to convict the captain when the core team made the erroneous decisions together.” Costa, which maintains that the insurance payout will not cover the cost of the salvage operation and returning the island of Giglio to its previous state, says the captain is desperate and lashing out. "This is has been his defense all along," Luciano Luffarelli, spokesperson for Costa Cruisellines who attended court on Tuesday told The Daily Beast.

"But it is indisputable that the captain is the only person responsible for the ship." On February 27, Schettino accompanied the three-judge panel and a group of maritime experts as they toured the half-sunken ship which was uprighted in a spectacular maneuver last September . “It was one of the most important, wonderful experiences I have ever had,” he told The Daily Beast. “Getting back on that ship was one of the best things I have ever done in my life, because it will help us find the truth.” At Tuesday’s court session, the prosecutor announced that he was launching an investigation into photos Schettino allegedly took with his cellphone while onboard the vessel on February 27. Schettino’s defense contends that the photos were taken to help their own experts determine the ship’s condition. The judge referred the case to another court. The next hearing will be April 14 and the prosecution is expected to wrap up their case by the end of April. There will be further sessions in May, which may include testimony from Schettino, but the court will then be forced to take a break in June when the theater where the hearings are being held to accommodate all of the civil parties and passengers has been booked for a dance festival.

Schettino says he is philosophical about the future. He says he doesn’t know if he will ever return to the sea as a navigator, but he won’t rule it out. “We will see. In life sometimes we have to reinvent ourselves and find new directions and vocations. I’m not worried about myself. We are fighting a giant and hopefully the truth will prevail,” he told The Daily Beast. When asked if he was worried about going to prison for 20 years or more, he said no. “As they say, the sea makes a man stronger.” Costa Concordia captain claims he tripped and fell into a lifeboat | World news | The Guardian Francesco Schettino Costa Concordia captain claims he tripped and fell into a lifeboat Francesco Schettino explains at hearing why he could not lead evacuation of stricken cruise liner but admits crashing ship into rocks Francesco Schettino, captain of the Costa Concordia, is escorted to prison by police officers at Grosseto after being questioned by magistrates.

Photograph: Staff/Reuters Wednesday 18 January 2012 07.39 EST First published on Wednesday 18 January 2012 07.39 EST Close This article is 5 years old The cruise liner captain accused of abandoning ship after he struck rocks off the Tuscan coast last Friday has reportedly claimed he was unable to lead the evacuation because he slipped and tripped into a lifeboat while helping passengers leave the stricken vessel. During a three-hour hearing on Tuesday, captain Francesco Schettino said it was an accident that he left the Costa Concordia, according to La Repubblica. "The passengers were pouring on to the decks, taking the lifeboats by assault," the newspaper quoted him as telling a judge during a hearing to determine whether he should be held in custody on charges of manslaughter and abandoning ship. "I didn't even have a life jacket because I had given it to one of the passengers. I was trying to get people to get into the boats in an orderly fashion. Suddenly, since the ship was at a 60-70° angle, I tripped and I ended up in one of the boats.

That's how I found myself in the lifeboat," said Schettino. "Suspended there, I was unable to lower the boat into the sea, because the space was blocked by other boats in the water." The captain did however admit responsibility for crashing the ship into rocks which tore a hole in the Costa Concordia , forcing him to ground the vessel. "I made a mistake on the approach," he said. "I was navigating by sight because I knew the depths well and I had done this manoeuvre three or four times. But this time I ordered the turn too late and I ended up in water that was too shallow. I don't know why it happened. I was a victim of my instincts." Schettino confirmed he sailed close to the island of Giglio to salute a retired captain, Mario Palombo, and was on the phone to Palombo at the time. Schettino said he was not afraid of a drugs test: "I don't do drugs and I had not drunk." By grounding the vessel close to the shore after it struck rock he believes he saved the lives of many passengers. On Wednesday, a Dutch-owned salvage vessel arrived in Giglio port ready to go into action once divers resume their search for passengers on board.

The brother of an Indian waiter who worked on the cruise ship and who was still missing arrived on Giglio on Wednesday to search for him. Investigators urged to consider role of ship's owners in incident as salvage experts begin pumping out fuel from wreck Published: 24 Jan 2012 Witness claims captain's concentration was disturbed by conversation with visitor on bridge at moment of impact Published: 23 Jan 2012 Francesco Schettino's transgression on the night the Costa Concordia went down was enormous.

But those who know seafaring will take pity on him, writes Ian Jack Published: 20 Jan 2012 Evidence suggests that, after the Costa Concordia ran aground, the skipper first went into denial and then fell to pieces Published: 17 Jan 2012 Captain Schettino parties in Ischia as the Costa Concordia makes its final journey - Telegraph Italy Captain Schettino parties in Ischia as the Costa Concordia makes its final journey Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia, has been photographed celebrating a reported book deal on the holiday island of Ischia – while his trial for manslaughter continues Francesco Schettino has been photographed celebrating a reported book deal on the holiday island of Ischia Photo: Il Golfo/Rex Harriet Alexander in Rome 2:06PM BST 26 Jul 2014 As the stricken Costa Concordia limped its way towards Genoa last week, all of Italy was remembering the 32 people who lost their lives in the cruise ship disaster. All of Italy, it would seem, except the captain of the ship.

Francesco Schettino, the slick-haired skipper of the doomed vessel, was photographed on Friday jetting around the holiday island of Ischia, accompanied by a gaggle of glamorous women. As images emerged of Schettino chatting on his mobile phone as he steered a speed boat, local media suggested he was celebrating signing a book deal. The huge cruise ship is due to arrive in Genoa on Saturday night or early Sunday morning, where it will finally be broken down – two and a half years after the catastrophic accident. Related Articles 24 Jul 2014 Yet to onlookers it appeared as if the much-criticised captain had no care in the world. On Monday he had posed for photographers at Italian publisher Pietro Graus's third annual "White Party" – an exclusive event on the Bay of Naples island of Ischia at which all the guests wear white, held on the mogul's roof terrace overlooking the sea. Appearing tanned and relaxed, the captain – who is currently on trial for manslaughter, abandoning a ship and causing a maritime disaster – posed with two women in a photograph which was splashed across the front pages of a local newspaper the next day.

"Clamoroso: Schettino" read the headline in Il Golfo – meaning "blatant". The photos were reprinted across the Italian press, with Corriere della Sera describing Schettino as "guest of honour in Ischia", sparking anger on social media and the airwaves. Gianni Simioli, from Naples-based Radio Marte Stereo, described his appearance as "absolutely inappropriate and objectionable." He told his listeners: "Schettino appears tanned, relaxed, serene. "How can you be so cheerful and calm, just as this tragedy is being relived, and go to this cosmopolitan party?" Angelo Mangiante, a former tennis professional who now hosts a show on Sky Sports, wrote on Twitter: "32 dead, 110 injured. And he, Schettino, is still on holiday, guest of honour among the VIPs of Ischia. I am ashamed of this Italy." Fede Bassano, a lawyer, wrote: "While the ghost of Concordia makes its last trip, Schettino is guest of honour at a party in Ischia. It makes me vomit." The 53 year-old has become the focus for much of the anger at the disaster.

He claims that he is being made a scapegoat for Costa Cruises, but that has not prevented his vilification. Traders have even begun selling T-shirts bearing the slogan "Get back on board, for f---'s sake", the furious command from Gregorio De Falco, a coastguard official, telling the captain to return to the ship and take command of the mass evacuation. The trial of Schettino has heard that he was a "dare devil", according to one ship's officer, who drove his 114,000 tonne, 13-storey cruise liner "like a Ferrari" and telephoned his "Mamma" as soon as he realised the trouble he was in. Schettino has admitted sailing too close to the island of Giglio, off the coast of Tuscany, but denied abandoning the ship. His lawyer said that Schettino's actions prevented the tragedy from being worse. "The captain defended his role on the direction of the ship after the collision, which in the captain's opinion saved hundreds if not thousands of lives," said Bruno Leporatti.

"The captain specified that he did not abandon ship." To mark the first anniversary of the disaster, the captain told La Stampa newspaper: "I've been treated worse than Bin Laden, while my regret for what happened is enormous. "I reject the image that has been attached to myself, it ridicules not only 30 years of my work but my experience worldwide and also the image of our country has been opened to unjust criticism globally." While public anger directed at Schettino remained undiminished, Mr Graus, the host of the party, defended his decision to invite the captain – who has insisted that he slipped off the boat, fell into a lifeboat, and was begging the crew to allow him to return to the sinking vessel and its 4,200 passengers. "The commander was invited to the event that I organise every year for my publishing house," he explained. He denied that the party had been organised on behalf of Schettino. "There was no guest of honour," he said. And he explained that he hoped to publish Schettino's book – once the criminal trial was concluded. "I crossed paths with Captain Francesco Schettino by chance a few months ago.

"We introduced ourselves and, having exchanged a few words, stood chatting about the Concordia. "From the beginning I realised that Schettino has an unspoken pain inside, which he has never been able tell, about all that has happened. "Since that time the idea was born to make him tell his story in a book." He said the book project was "an intention that unites us, but that, for now, remains a hypothesis." Schettino was said to be renting an apartment on the island, on the sea front between the towns of Casamicciola and Lacco Ameno, to escape the media while the ship is being towed away – and to concentrate on writing. Mr Graus said: "I have a duty to transfer all the pain, the anger of a man who has always had before him the silent and endless horizons of the sea. "Perhaps for this reason he cannot express his emotions." Francesco Schettino: Costa Concordia captain - CNN.com 1 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The Concordia is towed into the port of Genoa on July 27.

Hide Caption 2 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Tugboats tow the wreck of the Costa Concordia as it leaves Italy's Giglio Island on Wednesday, July 23. Hide Caption 3 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A view from a porthole shows the wreck of the Costa Concordia as it's being towed on July 23. It'll take about two years to dismantle the massive cruise liner. Hide Caption 4 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The Costa Concordia cruise ship sits in front of the harbor of Giglio Island after it was refloated using air tanks attached to its sides on Tuesday, July 22. Environmental concerns prompted the decision to undertake the expensive and difficult process of refloating the ship rather than taking it apart on site. Hide Caption 5 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The ship's name appears above the water on Monday, July 21. The ship is expected to arrive in Genoa on Sunday, August 27.

Hide Caption 6 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Tugboats pull the Costa Concordia after the first stage of the refloating operation on Wednesday, July 16. Hide Caption Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A small boat passes by the wreckage on Tuesday, July 15. Hide Caption 8 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Water is expelled from the caissons hooked onto the Costa Concordia on Monday, July 14. The ship will be towed north to the port in Genoa, Italy. Hide Caption 9 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Thirty-two people died when the 114,000-ton vessel, seen here on July 14, ran aground off Giglio in January 2012. Hide Caption 10 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – In December 2013, crews managed to rotate the ship into an upright position.

Hide Caption 11 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – To float the ship, seen here on Thursday, June 26, crews attached 30 steel tanks to fill with compressed air. Hide Caption 12 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Ship captain Francesco Schettino, left, returned to the Concordia in February for the first time since he ran the liner aground. He is on trial on charges of manslaughter, causing a maritime disaster and abandoning ship with passengers still on board. He denies wrongdoing. Hide Caption 13 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Experts inspect the ship's damage in January. They boarded the vessel to collect new evidence, focusing on the ship's bridge and the onboard elevators. Hide Caption 14 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The wreckage of the Costa Concordia cruise ship sits near the harbor of Giglio on Tuesday, September 17, after a salvage crew rolled the ship off its side .

Hide Caption 15 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The ship had been lying on its side for 20 months off the island of Giglio. Here, members of the U.S. company Titan Salvage and the Italian marine contractor Micoperi pass by the wreckage. Hide Caption 16 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Damage to the right side of the ship is apparent in September. Hide Caption 17 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Using a vast system of steel cables and pulleys, maritime engineers work on Monday, September 16, to hoist the ship's massive hull off the reef where it capsized. Hide Caption 18 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The project to upright the Costa Concordia continues on September 16. The nearly $800 million effort reportedly is the largest maritime salvage operation ever.

Hide Caption 19 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A water line marks the former level of the stricken Costa Concordia as the salvaging operation continues on September 16. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before. Hide Caption 20 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Members of Titan and Micoperi work at the wreck site early on September 16. Hide Caption Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Technicians work to salvage the half-submerged ship in July 2013. Hide Caption 22 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Giant hollow boxes have been attached to the side of the ship, seen here in May 2013. Attempts to refloat the ship will be aided by the compartments.

Hide Caption 23 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A commemorative plaque honoring the victims of the cruise disaster is unveiled in Giglio on January 14, 2013. Hide Caption 24 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Survivors, grieving relatives and locals release lanterns into the sky in Giglio after a minute of silence on January 13, 2013, marking the one-year anniversary of the shipwreck. The 32 lanterns -- one for each of the victims -- were released at 9:45 p.m. local time, the moment of impact. Hide Caption 25 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A man holds an Italian flag on his balcony overlooking the port of Giglio on January 13, 2013. Hide Caption 26 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A man works in front of the shipwreck on January 12, 2013.

Hide Caption 27 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A couple walks along the port of Giglio at night on January 12, 2013. Hide Caption 28 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A man sits in his boat in front of the half-submerged cruise ship on January 8, 2013. Hide Caption 29 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Cranes and floating decks surrounding the ship light up the dusk sky on January 9, 2013. Hide Caption 30 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Workers stand on the edge of the ship on January 8, 2013. Hide Caption Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A crew passes by the hulking remains on January 7, 2013.

Hide Caption 32 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – People enjoy a day in the sun with a view of the cruise liner on July 1, 2012. Hide Caption Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Military rescue workers approach the cruise liner on January 22, 2012. Hide Caption 34 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Members of the Italian coast guard conduct a search-and-rescue mission on January 21, 2012. Hide Caption 35 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Rescue operations to search for missing people resumed on January 20, 2012, after being suspended for a third time as conditions caused the vessel to shift on the rocks. Hide Caption 36 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The Costa Serena, the sister ship of the wrecked Costa Concordia, passes by on January 18, 2012.

Hide Caption 37 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A bird flies overhead the Costa Concordia on January 18, 2012. Rescue operations were suspended as the ship slowly sank farther into the sea. Hide Caption 38 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The ship was sailing a few hundred meters off the rocky Tuscan coastline. Hide Caption 39 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – An Italian coast guard helicopter flies over Giglio's harbor on January 16, 2012. Hide Caption 40 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Rescuers search the waters near the stricken ship on January 16, 2012. Hide Caption 41 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The Concordia, pictured on January 15, 2012, was on a Mediterranean cruise from Rome when it hit rocks off the coast of Giglio.

Hide Caption 42 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The ship starts keeling over early on January 14, 2012. Evacuation efforts started promptly but were made "extremely difficult" by the position of the listing ship, officials said. Hide Caption 43 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Rescued passengers arrive at Porto Santo Stefano, Italy, on January 14, 2012. The Costa Concordia was carrying 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members. Hide Caption Costa Concordia captain convicted in shipwreck - CNN.com 1 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The Concordia is towed into the port of Genoa on July 27. Hide Caption 2 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Tugboats tow the wreck of the Costa Concordia as it leaves Italy's Giglio Island on Wednesday, July 23.

Hide Caption 3 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A view from a porthole shows the wreck of the Costa Concordia as it's being towed on July 23. It'll take about two years to dismantle the massive cruise liner. Hide Caption 4 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The Costa Concordia cruise ship sits in front of the harbor of Giglio Island after it was refloated using air tanks attached to its sides on Tuesday, July 22. Environmental concerns prompted the decision to undertake the expensive and difficult process of refloating the ship rather than taking it apart on site. Hide Caption 5 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The ship's name appears above the water on Monday, July 21. The ship is expected to arrive in Genoa on Sunday, August 27. Hide Caption 6 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Tugboats pull the Costa Concordia after the first stage of the refloating operation on Wednesday, July 16.

Hide Caption Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A small boat passes by the wreckage on Tuesday, July 15. Hide Caption 8 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Water is expelled from the caissons hooked onto the Costa Concordia on Monday, July 14. The ship will be towed north to the port in Genoa, Italy. Hide Caption 9 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Thirty-two people died when the 114,000-ton vessel, seen here on July 14, ran aground off Giglio in January 2012. Hide Caption 10 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – In December 2013, crews managed to rotate the ship into an upright position. Hide Caption 11 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – To float the ship, seen here on Thursday, June 26, crews attached 30 steel tanks to fill with compressed air.

Hide Caption 12 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Ship captain Francesco Schettino, left, returned to the Concordia in February for the first time since he ran the liner aground. He is on trial on charges of manslaughter, causing a maritime disaster and abandoning ship with passengers still on board. He denies wrongdoing. Hide Caption 13 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Experts inspect the ship's damage in January. They boarded the vessel to collect new evidence, focusing on the ship's bridge and the onboard elevators. Hide Caption 14 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The wreckage of the Costa Concordia cruise ship sits near the harbor of Giglio on Tuesday, September 17, after a salvage crew rolled the ship off its side . Hide Caption 15 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The ship had been lying on its side for 20 months off the island of Giglio. Here, members of the U.S.

company Titan Salvage and the Italian marine contractor Micoperi pass by the wreckage. Hide Caption 16 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Damage to the right side of the ship is apparent in September. Hide Caption 17 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Using a vast system of steel cables and pulleys, maritime engineers work on Monday, September 16, to hoist the ship's massive hull off the reef where it capsized. Hide Caption 18 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The project to upright the Costa Concordia continues on September 16. The nearly $800 million effort reportedly is the largest maritime salvage operation ever. Hide Caption 19 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A water line marks the former level of the stricken Costa Concordia as the salvaging operation continues on September 16. The procedure, known as parbuckling, has never been carried out on a vessel as large as Costa Concordia before.

Hide Caption 20 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Members of Titan and Micoperi work at the wreck site early on September 16. Hide Caption Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Technicians work to salvage the half-submerged ship in July 2013. Hide Caption 22 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Giant hollow boxes have been attached to the side of the ship, seen here in May 2013. Attempts to refloat the ship will be aided by the compartments. Hide Caption 23 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A commemorative plaque honoring the victims of the cruise disaster is unveiled in Giglio on January 14, 2013.

Hide Caption 24 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Survivors, grieving relatives and locals release lanterns into the sky in Giglio after a minute of silence on January 13, 2013, marking the one-year anniversary of the shipwreck. The 32 lanterns -- one for each of the victims -- were released at 9:45 p.m. local time, the moment of impact. Hide Caption 25 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A man holds an Italian flag on his balcony overlooking the port of Giglio on January 13, 2013. Hide Caption 26 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A man works in front of the shipwreck on January 12, 2013. Hide Caption 27 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A couple walks along the port of Giglio at night on January 12, 2013.

Hide Caption 28 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A man sits in his boat in front of the half-submerged cruise ship on January 8, 2013. Hide Caption 29 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Cranes and floating decks surrounding the ship light up the dusk sky on January 9, 2013. Hide Caption 30 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Workers stand on the edge of the ship on January 8, 2013. Hide Caption Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A crew passes by the hulking remains on January 7, 2013. Hide Caption 32 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – People enjoy a day in the sun with a view of the cruise liner on July 1, 2012.

Hide Caption Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Military rescue workers approach the cruise liner on January 22, 2012. Hide Caption 34 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Members of the Italian coast guard conduct a search-and-rescue mission on January 21, 2012. Hide Caption 35 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Rescue operations to search for missing people resumed on January 20, 2012, after being suspended for a third time as conditions caused the vessel to shift on the rocks. Hide Caption 36 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The Costa Serena, the sister ship of the wrecked Costa Concordia, passes by on January 18, 2012. Hide Caption 37 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – A bird flies overhead the Costa Concordia on January 18, 2012.

Rescue operations were suspended as the ship slowly sank farther into the sea. Hide Caption 38 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The ship was sailing a few hundred meters off the rocky Tuscan coastline. Hide Caption 39 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – An Italian coast guard helicopter flies over Giglio's harbor on January 16, 2012. Hide Caption 40 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Rescuers search the waters near the stricken ship on January 16, 2012. Hide Caption 41 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The Concordia, pictured on January 15, 2012, was on a Mediterranean cruise from Rome when it hit rocks off the coast of Giglio. Hide Caption 42 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – The ship starts keeling over early on January 14, 2012.

Evacuation efforts started promptly but were made "extremely difficult" by the position of the listing ship, officials said. Hide Caption 43 of 44 Photos: Photos: The Costa Concordia disaster The Costa Concordia disaster – Rescued passengers arrive at Porto Santo Stefano, Italy, on January 14, 2012. The Costa Concordia was carrying 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members. Hide Caption

Question: Francesco Schettino was the captain of which ship
Answer: Costa Concordia