The trial opened in Crotone as six Guardia di Finanza and coastguard officers say they will testify over the 26 February 2023 Cutro shipwreck that killed at least 94 migrants, including 35 children. Prosecutors allege that poor communication, a failure to reclassify the incident as a search-and-rescue operation and rejection of coastguard assistance contributed to the disaster. Rescue charities and human-rights groups say the case highlights national migration policies that prioritise deterrence over saving lives, while traffickers linked to the crossing have already received lengthy prison sentences.
Italy's Deadly 2023 Cutro Shipwreck: Six Officers on Trial Over Alleged Failure to Rescue 94 Migrants
The migrant boat smashed into rocks off southern Italy in February 2023 (Alessandro SERRANO)(Alessandro SERRANO/AFP/AFP)
Six members of Italy's police and coastguard have gone on trial in Crotone accused of failing to intervene in the 26 February 2023 shipwreck off Calabria that killed at least 94 migrants, including 35 children. The disaster — Italy's worst at sea in a decade — prompted a fierce public debate about search-and-rescue policies, border enforcement and political responsibility.
Who Is On Trial and What They Face
All six defendants — four officers from the Guardia di Finanza (GDF), the financial-police force that patrols Italy's seas, and two coastguard personnel — told judges they will testify, Italian news agency ANSA reported. They face charges of involuntary manslaughter and "culpable shipwreck," an offence in the Italian penal code for negligent acts or omissions that lead to a shipwreck.
What Happened
A crowded boat carrying migrants from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Syria departed Turkey and was sighted shortly after 23:00 (2200 GMT) by a Frontex aircraft some 38 kilometres (24 miles) off the coast. Prosecutors say authorities were aware of the vessel for hours but a GDF ship dispatched to intercept later turned back because of bad weather. About four hours after the initial sighting, the migrant boat struck rocks near the beach at Cutro; roughly 80 people survived and dozens of bodies and wreckage washed ashore.
Allegations by Prosecutors
Prosecutors allege poor communication between control centres, a failure to reclassify the situation from a law-enforcement operation to a search-and-rescue mission as weather deteriorated, and the rejection of an offer of assistance from the coastguard — which fields sturdier vessels better able to operate in bad conditions. They argue these failures meant the approaching vessel was neither monitored nor guided to a safe harbour, and the scale of the emergency was not recognised.
"This is not just about individual actions," said Judith Sunderland, Acting Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch. "It casts a spotlight on Italian state policies that prioritise deterring and criminalising asylum seekers and migrants over saving lives."
Wider Context and Reactions
Rescue charities that operate in the central Mediterranean, including SOS Humanity and Mediterranea Saving Humans, have joined the case as civil parties. Critics say the tragedy reflects a broader policy approach under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government that treats migrant crossings primarily as a security issue.
Meloni visited Cutro after the disaster and emphasised the role of human traffickers. Several people linked to the crossing have since been convicted: in 2024 a Turkish and a Syrian man were each sentenced to 20 years, and later that year two Pakistani nationals and a Turkish man received terms of 14–16 years.
Migration Numbers and Ongoing Risks
Italian government figures show about 66,000 migrants landed on Italy's shores last year, similar to the previous year and down from more than 157,000 in 2023. The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported at least 1,340 deaths in the central Mediterranean last year and warned that more than 50 people were feared dead after a separate shipwreck off Libya during Storm Harry.
The trial in Crotone will examine whether the accused officers' decisions and communications contributed to the loss of life and whether systemic policy choices played a role. Families from around the world continue to seek answers and the return of loved ones who have never been found.
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