Viareggio massacre, Mauro Moretti out of prison: under house arrest after 4 months

The former CEO of FS, sentenced to 5 years, obtained the green light from the supervisory judge for home detention. He turned himself in last June 26th after the decision of the Court of Cassation which made the sentence definitive. From November 3rd he left Orvieto prison to serve his sentence at home in Rome. The former manager's lawyer: "The health protection needs are recognised"

Mauro Moretti, former CEO of Ferrovie dello Stato, has left Orvieto prison and is now serving his five-year sentence for the Viareggio train massacre of 29 June 2009 under house arrest in Rome. The provision was ordered by the supervisory judge in recent days. Moretti, who turned 73 on October 29th, turned himself in to the Umbrian penitentiary institute on June 26th. The news was reported today by the 'National Daily'.

The decision after the requests of the defense lawyers

The decision comes after requests presented by the former manager's lawyers, who had invoked the possibility of carrying out the sentence at their home due to the age of their client. In fact, the legislation provides, under certain conditions and in the absence of specific impeding conditions, the possibility for prisoners over seventy to serve their sentence under home conditions. "The provision that placed engineer Mauro Moretti under house arrest recognizes the need to protect his health: he has lost 15 kilos and is very emaciated", said the former manager's lawyer, Ambra Giovene. "The engineer - added Giovene - was admitted to house detention on the assumption of impeccable prison behavior. The system pays due attention to the seventy-year-old in the absence of impeding causes".

Convicted of 2009 train disaster massacre

The legal case concerns the railway disaster of 29 June 2009, when the derailment of a freight train loaded with LPG gas caused a violent explosion and a fire which affected the station area and the surrounding homes. The toll was 32 dead and over one hundred injured. Moretti was sentenced at first instance to seven years' imprisonment, a sentence confirmed on appeal and subsequently reduced to five years by the Court of Cassation last June. The Supreme Court also confirmed the convictions of ten other defendants, putting an end to a judicial proceeding that lasted 17 years. The charges of arson and multiple manslaughter were declared time-barred, while the conviction for the train disaster remained. In the reasons for the sentence, the Court of Cassation had underlined the causal contribution of the various defendants to the tragedy, highlighting the extraordinary seriousness of the consequences of the disputed conduct.

Moretti has always claimed to be innocent

Last June 26, after the final decision of the Supreme Court, Moretti spontaneously showed up in Orvieto prison, accompanied by the lawyer Ambra Giovene. On that occasion he declared that he would face detention in good physical and psychological conditions, reiterating his non-responsibility for the massacre and his willingness to respect the sentence. Even after house arrest was granted, the family members and defenders chose to maintain maximum confidentiality on the matter, avoiding public statements. Moretti has always proclaimed himself innocent, despite having carried out the final sentence.