Thirteen young cruise passengers have been reported to prosecutors after a mass brawl erupted aboard the Costa Smeralda while the ship was sailing between Naples and Palermo. The violence involved two groups of passengers aged between 18 and 20 and reportedly began after a comment was made towards a young woman near the ship’s nightclub. Italian authorities said one group was from Salento and the other from Sicily. Investigators used CCTV footage from the ship and accounts from crew members to reconstruct what happened. The confrontation allegedly began when a member of the Salento group directed a joke towards a woman travelling with the Sicilian group. A verbal argument followed before the confrontation escalated into violence and spread through corridors and into an area around the ship’s lifts. Footage released by the Palermo Maritime Border Police reportedly shows a chaotic fight involving numerous people, with a chair thrown and furniture disturbed during the violence.
Passenger knocked unconscious
During the brawl, one young man was reportedly knocked unconscious. Several people are alleged to have continued kicking him in the head while he was unconscious. He was taken to hospital for medical checks but was subsequently found not to have suffered serious injuries. Police identified 13 passengers believed to have been involved in the disturbance. They were reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Palermo in connection with alleged aggravated brawling. It has not been confirmed that any of the 13 have been formally charged or taken into custody. The precise date of the incident has also not been confirmed. The Costa Smeralda, which can accommodate more than 5,000 guests, operates regular Mediterranean itineraries and had recently called at Palermo and Civitavecchia. Any criminal allegations remain subject to investigation and have not been determined by a court.
Originally published by UKNIP.
