Brandizzo massacre: the accusation of voluntary murder falls. All the top management of the railways investigated

Almost two years after the Brandizzo massacre, in which five workers overwhelmed by a train died while working on the tracks, the Ivrea prosecutor concluded the investigations. The most serious accusation, that of voluntary murder with possible willful misconduct, was demerged in manslaughter. This is the central novelty that emerged in the last hours, together with the communication of the formal closure of the investigation.

The prosecutors Valentina Bossi and Giulia Nicodemi, coordinated by the chief prosecutor Gabriella Viglione, now contest i Plurimous manslaughter and railway disaster crimes. Three companies were also involved: Italian railway network, Sigifer (the company for which the victims worked) and the CLF of Bologna.

The dynamics of the tragedy

It was the night between 30 and 31 August 2023, when five workers they were working on a stretch of tracks in the Brandizzo railway station, in the province of Turin. A train that traveled at 160 kilometers per hour overwhelmed them in full. They had not received any notice of the arrival of the convoy. The impact was very violent and He left no escape to Kevin Laganà, the youngest, only 22 years old, to Michael Zanera, Giuseppe Sorvillo, Giuseppe Aversa and Giuseppe Saverio Lombardo. Only two workers, who were a few meters away, managed to save themselves.

The investigation, coordinated by the Ivrea prosecutor, began immediately ea Today he sees 24 suspects, including 21 natural persons and 3 companies. Among these, Rfi (Italian railway network), Sigifer, the company for which the victims worked, and CLF of Bologna, as well as Uniferr Srl, controlled by CLF, includes. Among the best known names of the suspects stands out that of Gianpiero Strisciuglio, a former CEO of RFI, who was initially not included in the register of suspects.

Parallel to the judicial activity, the Parliamentary commission of inquiry on working conditions in Italy, chaired by Chiara Gribaudo, she produced a report presented to the Chamber of Deputies on September 12, 2024. In the document it is stated that The main cause of the tragedy is attributable to a human error, but that this error must be inserted in a larger picture of restricted times, excessive loads and bureaucratic processes complexes. In fact, the Commission underlines: «It is necessary to consider all aspects that lead people to disregard the prefixed rules, including per hour, contractual constraints […] They do not always allow companies in contract to be able to operate with the necessary serenity ».

The families of the victims await justice. In a recent interview, Kevin Laganà’s brother, one of the five killed workers, said: “It is not possible to die at work in 2024. It is unacceptable that there are still situations where security comes after everything else. Kevin was a 22 -year -old boy, he had his whole life in front».