Costa Concordia captain convicted of manslaughter

GROSSETO , Italy, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The captain of the cruise ship Costa Concordia was convicted on 32 counts of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in prison Wednesday in a Grosseto, Italy, court.

Testimony in Francesco Schettino's 19-month multiple manslaughter trial ended with Schettino claiming he was a scapegoat for the incident. The ship, under Schettino's command, struck rocks as it traveled too close to Italy's Giglio Island and capsized in January 2012. The wreck and the ensuing evacuation attempt caused the death of 32 passengers.

"I died along with the 32 others. I have spent the last three years in a media meat grinder. It is difficult to call what I have been living through a 'life'. All the responsibility has been loaded on to me with no respect for the truth or for the memory of the victims," he said, adding that he had been "offered for sacrifice to protect others' economic interests. Before completing his statement he began sobbing, eventually ending with "Enough."

A three-judge panel deliberated the case for only several hours before determining a ruling.

Schettino's defense included claims of mechanical malfunctions aboard the ships and of crew members with an inadequate command of English, the language in which orders were given.

"Everything that did not work on the ship is part of the cause of the accident," defense lawyer Domenico Pepe told the court Wednesday. "Lights didn't work. People fell into holes. Elevators got stuck."

Schettino also faces 16 civil suits in the matter.