What happens when help is seen—but never sent? Italy is now being forced to answer that question in court.
Six members of Italy’s police and coastguard went on trial on Friday over a 2023 shipwreck that killed at least 94 migrants, including 35 children.
A crowded boat smashed into rocks off the resort town of Cutro in southern Calabria.
It was the country’s deadliest maritime disaster in a decade—and one that still haunts the nation.
The defendants—four officers from the Guardia di Finanza and two coastguard officials—are accused of involuntary manslaughter.
They are also accused of “culpable shipwreck”, crimes tied to negligence and fatal inaction. All have said they will testify.
Delayed Rescue Response
So what went wrong? Prosecutors say plenty of time was lost.
A Frontex surveillance plane spotted the vessel 38km offshore and alerted Italian authorities hours before the crash.
A patrol boat was dispatched, but turned back due to rough seas. No rescue followed.
“That’s where the failure lies,” prosecutors argue. Worsening weather should have triggered a full search-and-rescue mission.
Instead, they say, poor communication and hesitation proved deadly.
The boat—carrying migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Syria—hit the rocks four hours later.
About 80 survived. Many others were never found.
In the end, this trial isn’t just about a shipwreck.
It’s about a pause, a decision, and whether waiting too long can be as fatal as doing nothing at all.
