“Disgrace”. Families of avalanche victims outraged by court verdict

Among others, the former prefect of Pescara and the former head of the provincial government were acquitted. The hotel owner was punished six months of suspended imprisonment. Provincial officials were sentenced to three years and four months.

The court’s decision to acquit most of the accused was met with violent backlash. the reaction of the families of the victims. In the courtroom, they arranged 29 empty chairs, spreading on them T-shirts with photos of the dead
Photographs were also placed on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse.

After the judge read the verdict, relatives of the victims they began to shout in the court: “Disgrace”, “Salesmen”.

In total, 29 people and one company were charged with the indictment.

The Rigopiano hotel tragedy, which took place after heavy snowfall in the mountains of Abruzzo, left many questions and uncertainties unanswered. Attempts were made to determine whether the descent of the avalanche could have been caused by an earthquake that occurred that day in this part of Italy. Numerous controversies were also caused by the lack of reaction of the local services, to which even earlier, before the avalanche, appeals were sent to clear the road leading to the hotel from snow, so that guests concerned about snowstorms could leave it.