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THE CAPTAIN OF a luxury cruise ship that ran aground off the Italian coast last January has said he is “sorry” over the disaster, which led to the deaths of 32 people.
However, speaking to private Italian television channel Canale 5, Francesco Schettino also described the incident as a “banal accident” in which “destiny” played a role.
Schettino, who was until recently under house arrest, has been severely criticised for his behaviour in connection with the tragedy. In the aftermath of the sinking, he was arrested on preliminary charges of multiple manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, failing to assist passengers, failing to be the last person to leave the ship, failing to relay the scope of the disaster to maritime officers and failing to help incapacitated passengers.
Prosecutors have claimed Schettino sailed too close to the island in an attempt to impress a young woman accompanying him, shortly before the cruise liner slammed into the rocks. When the impact occurred, Schettino was speaking on the phone.
When questioned about the phone call, Schettino said that he blamed himself for becoming “distracted” but insisted he had passed command over to a lower ranking official at that point, reports the BBC.
“At that moment, I went up to the bridge. I ordered the navigation to be manual, and I didn’t have the command. The navigation was being directed by the officer,” he said. “This is a banal accident in which destiny found space right in the interaction among human beings”.
When questioned about the youngest victim – a five-year-old girl – he could not answer and broke down.
Despite being released from house arrest last week, Schettino has been ordered by a judge to remain in his home town of Naples ahead of his possible trial.
A court hearing scheduled later this month will review evidence from the case, after which a judge will decide whether Schettino will stand trial.
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CV-19 is claiming a lot of people and talents. What an era in human history. Sad days ahead when we finally count our dead. :-(
RIP. Hugely talented, Fountains of Wayne have some great songs and albums, welcome interstate managers is a cracker!
We should all play Staceys Mom.. definitely a throwback tune, to honour the memory of the man.
@Rochey77: Moderate your language, I, too thought Stacey’s Mom was a song.
@Rochey77: The actress that played stacey’s mom was married to mini me from Austin powers.
@Damien: no she wasn’t, she was married to Rod Stewart and she’s still alive? Am I missing something or is this thread just full of inaccuracies?
@Damien: Stacys Mom…..https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Hunter
Very much alive and kicking
@King B: oops. Got that one mixed up
@Damien: no worries bud, either way I’m sure we can agree that Stacey’s mom most definitely had it going on.
The elephant in the room when it comes to Covid19 deaths is he was a lifetime smoker, which is an underlying condition. RIP.
@Peter Leonard: being a smoker isn’t an “underlying condition” though is it?
@Jazz Buckler: ok let me re phrase it. Smoking make you more susceptible to dying from Covid 19 https://ash.org.uk/media-and-news/press-releases-media-and-news/health-secretary-it-is-abundantly-clear-that-smoking-makes-the-impact-of-a-coronavirus-worse/
@Jazz Buckler: no, but buggered lungs from a lifetime of it is, or are you taking the smoking industry line on this?
@Jazz Buckler: I’m sure the virus might not care if it’s a condition or not. Alcoholism is a disease, Smoking is also a disease.. whatever way it’s spun that it’s a human right or something like that. it’s a condition and a reason why so many young people are dead in Italy and Spain.
I thought 2016 was bad for artists dying this is going to blow that out of the water.
Crazy ex girlfriend would not have been the same without this guy, such a talented music writer.
One~der……..hanks is still high on meds.
@Stan Kowalskis: read the article, that was the name of a band in a movie they were both involved in. How’s your prescription?
@Stan Kowalskis: watch the movie, its really good!
Schlesinger wasn’t the singer he was the bass player/songwriter. Do your research!
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