Costa Concordia Captain Sentenced to 16 Years

Captain Francesco Schettino was sentenced to 16 years in prison after an Italian court found him guilty of  manslaughter today for his role in the 2012 sinking of the Costa Concordia.

The 52-year old was captain of a cruise liner carrying 4,252 passengers  when it sank off the coast of Isola del Giglio, Tuscany in January 2012, killing 32 people. Schettino was accused of taking the liner too close to shore and abandoning the ship while passengers and crew were still on board.

Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 26 years and three months.

Schettino was not in the Grosseto court when the verdict was read. Yesterday, he appealed to the judge at the end of his 19-month trial, sobbing as he said he had spent the last three years "in a media meat grinder."

Schettino claimed he had taken the ship so close to land for "commercial reasons" and to please his passengers and those ashore, the BBC reported.

The captain may not go to jail before the end of Italy's appeal process, which can often take years.