The Calabria region has retracted its decision to participate as a civil party in the proceedings against four officers from the Guardia di Finanza and two from the Coast Guard, who are alleged to bear responsibility for the Cutro shipwreck that occurred on February 24, 2023. This tragic incident resulted in the deaths of 98 individuals, including 35 children.

In an official statement, regional authorities termed the initial decision to join the lawsuit as an error, clarifying that the intent was to call for justice against the traffickers responsible for the tragedy, rather than the state officials.

Following the preliminary hearing led by Judge Elisa Marchetto earlier this week, regional officials took steps to amend their previous decision to join the civil lawsuit, issued on Monday.

This earlier commitment to act as a civil party had incurred significant criticism from unions representing the Guardia di Finanza and the Navy.

There are indications that political influence may have played a role in the withdrawal, with suggestions that Matteo Salvini, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, directly communicated with Calabria's President Roberto Occhiuto regarding the issue.

The reversal from regional authorities has elicited strong reactions from the Democratic Party (PD) and various associations.

The PD criticized President Occhiuto, alleging that he succumbed to pressures from Salvini, thereby undermining justice and the institutional dignity of Calabria.

They accused him of turning his back on the 94 victims of the Cutro shipwreck and harming the region's reputation by prioritizing political allegiance over moral courage.

The Rete 26 Febbraio, an organization formed in the wake of the shipwreck, described the regional government's action as indicative of severe administrative shortcomings, referring to it as both a political and moral concession to central power and a betrayal of the institutions in relation to the victims.

A total of 113 requests to join as civil parties were submitted during the preliminary proceedings, predominantly from relatives of the victims and survivors of the tragedy, as well as from various organizations, including Arci, Codacons Crotone, and humanitarian NGOs such as Emergency, SOS Humanity, Sea Watch, Luis Michel, and SOS Mediterranee Italia.

The court is scheduled to review the request for the indictment of the defendants on June 9. The six accused officials—Giuseppe Grillo, Alberto Lippolis, Antonino LoPresti, Nicolino Vardaro, Francesca Perfido, and Nicola Nania—face charges of involuntary manslaughter and negligent shipwreck, related to alleged delays in the rescue operations for the 'Summer Love' vessel.