The ruling by the Court of Cassation in the proceedings for the Rigopiano (Abruzzo) massacre, where 29 people died on 18 January 2017 due to an avalanche that overwhelmed a hotel, has been postponed to December 3.
The judges of the sixth section , after hearing the interventions of all the defense lawyers, decided to postpone the decision until next week in light of the "complexity of the trial" and the number of positions to be examined. Numerous family members present at the Supreme Court await the sentence, over which hangs the specter of the statute of limitations for some charges. The judges will in fact have to decide on the requests made in the hearing on Wednesday by the deputy attorney general. The representative of the prosecution has requested a second appeal for the former prefect of Pescara, Francesco Provolo , sentenced to 1 year and 8 months for refusal to perform official duties and forgery, to also evaluate the charges of complicity in manslaughter, in negligent injury and in obstruction of justice for which he was acquitted on appeal.
The Attorney General also requested the cancellation of the acquittals of six people, representatives of the regional civil protection authority of Abruzzo, and the confirmation of the sentences of the provincial directors Paolo D'Incecco and Mauro Di Blasio (both 3 years and four months), of the former hotel manager Bruno Di Tommaso (6 months) and of the municipal technician, Enrico Colangeli (2 years and eight months for both). A new second-degree trial was also requested for the mayor of Farindola, Ilario Lacchetta. Requests that seem to turn the clock back with a return to the first accusatory hypothesis of the Pescara Prosecutor's Office.
Regarding the position of the former prefect, his defense attorney, Giandomenico Caiazza, stated in court that "on the causal link between the incorrect summons, let's take it for granted, of the Organization (the rescue coordination center, ed.) and the tragic event, there is no element that would support this hypothesis because the unavailability of the turbine was never communicated by the Province to the Prefecture of Pescara". These words came 24 hours after those of the Attorney General, Giuseppe Riccardi, who during his closing speech stated that on that tragic day "the avalanche danger was high, level 4, and was communicated to the prefecture. There was no real red alert but there was a high danger that made it necessary to set up the CCS and the operations room, which would have made it possible to prepare measures, such as closing roads and sending the army as was then done".
(Online Union)
