Where is Francesco Schettino now? ‘Shipwrecked’ recounts Costa Concordia Captain’s sentence and unwanted nickname
More than a decade after the Costa Concordia disaster, attention is once again turning to the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino. Netflix’s documentary ‘Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea’, released on July 10, revisits the tragedy through never-before-seen footage and firsthand accounts from survivors. The film revisits the events of January 2012, when the Costa Concordia, carrying about 4,200 passengers and crew, struck a reef near Italy’s Giglio Island before rolling onto its side. The delayed evacuation turned a luxury vacation into a deadly catastrophe. By the time rescue efforts ended, 32 people, 27 passengers and five crew members, had lost their lives. Schettino was commanding the Costa Concordia on the night it ran aground. During the legal proceedings that followed, prosecutors argued that he intentionally sailed the massive cruise ship dangerously close to Giglio Island without authorization.
According to court arguments, the maneuver was meant to entertain passengers and, as prosecutors alleged, “impress” those onboard, including his then-lover, Domnica Cemortan. Schettino rejected that claim. Instead, he said he intended to carry out what sailors call a “salute,” a close pass by the island. As reported by The Guardian, Schettino explained his reasoning: “I wanted to kill three birds with one stone.” He claimed the pass was intended to honor a retired captain living on Giglio, pay tribute to the island that was home to the ship’s head waiter, and give passengers a memorable view from the water. Whatever the intention, the plan ended in disaster. The vessel came too close to submerged rocks, tearing open its hull and allowing water to rush inside. Within hours, the giant cruise ship was lying on its side just off the Italian coastline. The collision itself was only part of what made Schettino one of Italy’s most controversial public figures.
As passengers struggled to escape the ship, questions emerged over the captain’s actions during the evacuation. Investigators concluded that he left the Costa Concordia before everyone had been brought to safety. Italian media soon gave him the nickname “Captain Coward,” a label that followed him throughout the investigation and later court proceedings. Without the captain directing rescue operations onboard, many frightened passengers had to rely on crew members, fellow travelers, and Italy’s Coast Guard while trying to reach lifeboats or make it safely ashore. Despite the confusion, thousands of people were eventually rescued. In 2015, Schettino was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted of multiple offenses. The court found him guilty of manslaughter, causing the shipwreck, and abandoning the ship before the evacuation had been completed. During the trial, an Italian prosecutor described him as a “careless idiot,” as per Cosmopolitan. Schettino never accepted that version of events.
Throughout the case, he argued that responsibility had unfairly fallen entirely on him and insisted he had become a scapegoat. In January 2018, he filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights, challenging his conviction and seeking further legal review. The move did not change his prison sentence. Years later, he tried another route. In 2025, Schettino requested early release under Italy’s “state of semi-liberty” system. Under Italian law, prisoners who serve half their sentence may qualify to complete the rest through day release or house arrest. However, those efforts have not been successful. Reports indicate that Schettino’s applications for early release have either been denied or withdrawn, leaving his original sentence in place. So, where is Francesco Schettino now? Today, Schettino remains incarcerated at Rebibbia Prison in Rome. Unless there is another successful legal challenge or a future change to his custody status, he is expected to stay behind bars until roughly 2032, when his sentence is due to end.
