ROME: Prosecutors in Italy have placed under investigation the captain of a superyacht that sank during a storm off Sicily last week, killing seven people, Italian media reported Monday.
James Cutfield, a 51-year old New Zealand national, is being investigated for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck, Italian dailies reported. Under Italian laws, being under investigation doesn’t imply being guilty and doesn’t necessarily lead to criminal charges.
The decision was made after Cutfield was interrogated for a second time.Maritime law gives a captain full responsibility for the ship, crew, and all on board. Cutfield was among 15 survivors of the sinking that killed British tech magnate Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others. The Bayesian, a 184-ft British-flagged yacht, went down near the Mediterranean island in Italy last Monday. Investigators are focusing on how a sailing vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.
James Cutfield, a 51-year old New Zealand national, is being investigated for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck, Italian dailies reported. Under Italian laws, being under investigation doesn’t imply being guilty and doesn’t necessarily lead to criminal charges.
The decision was made after Cutfield was interrogated for a second time.Maritime law gives a captain full responsibility for the ship, crew, and all on board. Cutfield was among 15 survivors of the sinking that killed British tech magnate Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah and five others. The Bayesian, a 184-ft British-flagged yacht, went down near the Mediterranean island in Italy last Monday. Investigators are focusing on how a sailing vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.