Morandi Bridge Victims' Families Await Appeal with Renewed Confidence

Eight years after the tragic collapse of the Morandi Bridge, relatives of the 43 victims are awaiting the appeal process with a sense of cautious optimism. Egle Possetti, spokesperson for the victims' remembrance committee, stated that while the initial court ruling was significant, a greater show of support from the central government would have been welcomed at the anniversary ceremony.

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We expected a presence from the central government. Clearly, there is Deputy Minister Rixi, whom we respect greatly and who has always been close to us, but I believe greater attention should have been paid on this occasion. We expected another figure besides the deputy minister.

"We expected a presence from the central government. Clearly, there is Deputy Minister Rixi, whom we respect greatly and who has always been close to us, but I believe greater attention should have been paid on this occasion. We expected another figure besides the deputy minister," Possetti said. She highlighted that the recent sentence, which involves state officials and is considered uncomfortable for the state, underscores past governmental errors in concession management.

Possetti reflected on the enduring nature of grief, stating, "After eight years, the pain changes, but when you return to the pain, it is always the same, because those people are no longer here. They are in your heart, in your head, in photographs, but they are no longer here." Despite the passage of time, the emotional impact of the loss remains profound.

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After eight years, the pain changes, but when you return to the pain, it is always the same, because those people are no longer here. They are in your heart, in your head, in photographs, but they are no longer here.

The committee is actively working on a distributed memorial project, intending to house preserved artifacts from the bridge in the various towns where the victims originated. "It is an idea we have launched and are discussing with various local institutional representatives," Possetti explained. "Certainly, artifact 132 will arrive at the memorial, and if each municipality could create a space to house it, it would be very important and would allow people to see with their own eyes what that structure was reduced to."

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We await the appeal with equal trepidation, but an important first ruling has been made. The work done by the judiciary and the judges has been incredible, and therefore we clearly hope that the appeal begins as soon as possible.

Liguria Regional President Marco Bucci commemorated the anniversary on social media, emphasizing the need to keep the memory of the victims alive. "Memory should not be a candle that time consumes, but an ember that continues to burn. It is up to all of us, every August 14, to rekindle it and keep the flame of remembrance alive," he wrote. The memory was also honored on a large LED screen at the Liguria Region headquarters in Genoa.

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Clearly, we are confident because we believe that the sentence goes in the direction we hoped for, because in all three lines of indictment, the top figures have been condemned, which is what we were hoping for. Perhaps now we have a little more confidence, but we remain vigilant until the end.