Viareggio massacre: Moretti is released from prison; he will serve the remainder of his sentence at home. ‘Health reasons’
After four months in custody, the 73-year-old former manager has been granted house arrest
The former CEO of FS, Mauro Moretti, sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for the Viareggio (Lucca) tragedy, has been granted permission by the probation judge to serve his sentence under house arrest. Moretti, who turned himself in on 26 June following the Court of Cassation’s decision making the sentence final, left Orvieto prison on 3 November to serve his sentence at home in Rome.
Moretti, who turned 73 on 29 October, was convicted on charges of causing a railway disaster through negligence and arson in connection with the tragedy at Viareggio station on 29 June 2009, when a freight wagon carrying LPG derailed: 32 people were killed in the ensuing blaze, and over 100 were injured.
The lawyers for the former CEO of FS had immediately requested house arrest, taking into account his age, the nature of the offence and the fact that, in his case, there was no risk of him absconding or reoffending. A few days ago, the supervisory judge ruled to grant Moretti house arrest after approximately four months in a prison cell.
“The order placing engineer Mauro Moretti under house arrest recognises the need to protect his health,” said the former manager’s lawyer, Ambra Giovene. “He has lost 15 kilos and is in a very frail condition.” “Mr Moretti,” added Giovene, “has been granted house arrest on the condition that his behaviour whilst in custody is impeccable. The law accords due consideration to this man in his seventies in the absence of any grounds for refusal.”
