Paula Gaess / Resqship
The Cutro trial stems from the shipwreck of the Summer Love, a wooden vessel that was carrying more than 180 people before the wreckage near the coast of Steccato di Cutro, Calabria, on February 26, 2023. Despite early warnings and worsening sea conditions, Italian authorities delayed launching rescue operations, which resulted in at least 94 confirmed deaths with an unknown number still missing. After a formal investigation, six Italian officials, including two from the Coast Guard and four from the Guardia di Finanza, have been indicted and will face trial beginning in January 2026; they have been charged with negligent shipwreck and multiple counts of manslaughter.
EMERGENCY, Louise Michel, Mediterranea Saving Humans, Sea-Watch, SOS Humanity, and SOS MEDITERRANEE, acting as civil parties in the Cutro shipwreck trial, welcome the decision to indict the six defendants. The organizations call for full accountability from authorities at all levels for the deliberate negligence in the failed rescue efforts, as they reaffirm the importance of upholding international law in the Mediterranean.
The July 21, 2025 indictment marks an important step in the long pursuit of truth and justice for the victims of the Summer Love, which sank off the coast of Steccato di Cutro on February 26, 2023. The shipwreck resulted in at least 94 confirmed deaths, with an unknown number of people still missing.
The six search and rescue organizations — EMERGENCY, Louise Michel, Mediterranea Saving Humans, Sea-Watch, SOS Humanity, and SOS MEDITERRANEE — who are formally recognized as civil parties in the case welcome the decision by the judge in Crotone to refer the six accused individuals to trial following the preliminary hearing.
The Crotone Public Prosecutor has charged four Guardia di Finanza officers and two Coast Guard officers with negligent shipwreck and multiple counts of manslaughter, citing the failure to initiate and carry out effective rescue operations despite clear indication of distress.
Camille Martin Juan / SOS MEDITERRANEE
As civil plaintiffs, the NGOs call for full transparency regarding the decisions and omissions that contributed to one of the deadliest shipwrecks in recent Italian history. The trial presents an opportunity to examine every critical moment and determine those who are responsible for this tragedy.
“Timing is crucial for the success of rescue operations, so delays in activating rescue interventions are not an accident but negligence, which cannot go unpunished,” the group of six NGOs said. In this specific case, the Italian authorities ignored their duty to rescue, and the omission had dramatic consequences.
“It is unacceptable for those responsible for this tragedy and others like it to remain unaccountable while people continue to drown,” the organizations added. “International law, the protection of life at sea, and the duty to rescue must be respected at all times, including in the Mediterranean.”
The signatory organizations also call for an immediate end to the criminalization of people on the move and thus, urge the re-establishment of effective maritime search and rescue operations, including the possibility of a dedicated European mission.
