Four people will stand trial over the night-time fire aboard the sailing yacht Morgane at Marina di Stabia in Castellammare di Stabia on 30 August 2021, in which hostess Giulia Maccaroni died.
According to Metropolis Web, la Repubblica and ANSA, the committal for trial was reported on 9 November 2026. The proceedings are scheduled to begin in February 2027. The precise date of the first hearing has not been established in the available reports.
Maccaroni was sleeping in a guest cabin below deck when the fire broke out during the night. La Repubblica reports that she died from carbon-monoxide fumes. The Morgane was moored at Marina di Stabia at the time.
The alleged offences are negligent homicide and violations of safety regulations.
Who the four defendants are reported to be
The reports identify the four defendants by role rather than as a single crew. They are:
- the administrator of the company that owned the vessel;
- an employee responsible for rental and maintenance;
- the captain of the Morgane;
- a mechanic who had worked on the vessel at Lipari.
Criminal responsibility has not been determined. The defendants remain subject to trial.
What the prosecution theory says
Prosecutors' technical investigations attributed the fire to a defective starter motor that allegedly activated unexpectedly during the night, according to Metropolis Web.
The available reports describe that technical theory but do not provide the complete expert reports or the defendants' responses. The trial will therefore have to test that reconstruction and the individual responsibilities alleged against each defendant.
What happens next
The case now moves to trial in February 2027, more than five years after the night of 30 August 2021. The court will examine the charge of negligent homicide alongside the alleged safety-regulation violations connected to the ownership, management and maintenance of the Morgane and to the events aboard on the night of the fire.