Italian court opens trial over deadly migrant shipwreck

Police, coastguard officials accused of involuntary manslaughter; case shines light on policies of far-right government.Published On 30 Jan 2026An Italian court has opened the trial of four police officers and two members of the Italian coastguard over their response to a 2023 shipwreck that killed at least 94 refugees and migrants.The trial opened in the southern port city of Crotone on Friday, where the defendants face charges of involuntary manslaughter and “culpable shipwreck”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3At least 50 dead after vessel carrying Sudanese refugees catches firelist 2 of 3Europe’s search and rescue bodies suspend contacts with Libyan counterpartlist 3 of 3At least seven dead, dozens missing as migrant boat capsizes off The Gambiaend of listRights activists assert that, as well as the individual officers, the right-wing Italian government’s immigration policies are also on trial.Prosecutors accuse the police of failing to communicate key information with the coastguard, who they say did not collect details that would have informed them about the urgency of the situation as the ship struggled in dangerous waters on February 26, 2023.The Summer Love boat then crashed off Cutro on Italy’s southern coast. There were 35 children among those killed.Authorities say more people may have been killed, but their bodies were never found.The boat was coming from Turkiye and carrying people from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Syria when it crashed into the rocks, the AFP news agency reports.An aircraft belonging to the European Union’s Frontex agency had seen the ship in difficulty and alerted the Italian authorities. Although the Guardia di Finanza (GDF) sent a boat, it turned back due to bad weather.Rescuers get ready to search for survivors in the aftermath of a deadly migrant shipwreck in Crotone, Italy, February 28, 2023 [Remo Casilli/Reuters]Charity groups that conduct rescue operations in the Mediterranean, including SOS Humanity and Mediterranea Saving Humans, are civil parties to the case.