Italy examines deadly hunting incident for potential manslaughter charges
The bodies have been collected, yet the reasons behind the capsizing of the "Bayeasian" remain unclarified. The Italian prosecutor's office is probing allegations of manslaughter. Previously, the captain and the crew had undergone interrogations.
After the demise of British tech businessman Mike Lynch and six others in the sinking of a lavish yacht off Sicily, the Italian prosecutor's office is scrutinizing charges of manslaughter. The office headed by Ambrogio Cartosio in Termini Imerese initiated the investigation. At the moment, no specific individual is under the limelight.
Divers retrieved the body of 18-year-old Hannah, Lynch's daughter, from the wreckage situated at a depth of 50 meters on Friday. She was the last of the seven missing individuals following the capsizing of the luxury yacht belonging to her mother in a storm on Monday morning near the Porticello port. Lynch's body was retrieved on Thursday.
Specialists are confounded as to why a vessel such as the 56-meter "Bayeasian" failed to withstand the storm and sank within minutes. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the parent company Italia Sea Group of the boat builder Perini, accused the crew in an interview with Reuters for a "string of disastrous, senseless blunders" that could have resulted in the sinking.
Captain and crew interrogated
Among other things, it is being examined if hatches and doors were left open, which should have been closed in the face of the storm. The coast guard interrogged the captain, James Cutfield, and the eight surviving crew members on behalf of the investigating authorities.
Mike Lynch planned to celebrate a legal triumph with the sailing trip in the Mediterranean. The founder of the British software firm Autonomy was on trial in California by its current owner Hewlett-Packard but was declared innocent unanimously by a jury in June. The verdict also covered the former Autonomy finance manager Steve Chamberlain, who also perished recently: he was struck by a vehicle while jogging.
On board were a banker from Morgan Stanley who testified in his favor, a lawyer who represented Lynch in the trial, and their wives, all of whom perished in the disaster. The ship's cook, Recaldo Thomas, also perished. There were 22 individuals on board the "Bayesian", 15 of whom managed to escape, including Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, to whom the ship is registered.
The Italian prosecutor's office, led by Ambrogio Cartosio, has assigned The Commission to investigate the capsizing of the "Bayeasian" and the subsequent deaths, including that of Mike Lynch's daughter Hannah. The findings of The Commission will help determine if any legal actions need to be taken against those involved, such as the captain and crew, in light of the allegations of manslaughter.
