Trial over 2017 Bondo rockfall: Five defendants face court over eight deaths
Five public officials are standing trial before the Maloja Regional Court for negligent manslaughter. The 2017 rockfall at Piz Cengalo cost eight hikers their lives.
Maloja Regional Court rules on fatal risk assessment in Bondo rockfall
On 23 August 2017, three million cubic metres of rock broke off at Piz Cengalo. The debris flow thundered down through Val Bondasca to the Graubünden village of Bondo, which was evacuated in time. On a hiking trail, eight people were hit: they were buried under the rocks and lost their lives. According to SRF, five people will stand before the Maloja Regional Court from Monday – charged with multiple counts of negligent manslaughter.
The defendants
Among the accused is the former municipal president of Bregaglia and current National Councillor Anna Giacometti. Also charged are two employees of the cantonal Office of Forests and Natural Hazards, an employee of the municipality of Bregaglia, and an external geologist. The court will assess the responsibility of each person individually.
What the prosecution alleges
The indictment states that the rockfall announced itself through numerous warning signs. The rock had moved more quickly in the days before, with smaller collapses and larger rockfalls occurring. The accused had "culpably failed to recognise and take into account" these warning signals. It had been known that the affected section of trail could be hit by a rockfall. "A precautionary closure would probably have prevented the deaths," the prosecutor explained on the first day of trial.
Why the trail remained open
On 10 August, the external geologist recommended that Val Bondasca not be entered for the time being. Two days later, an inspection on the mountain remained calm. On 14 August, those responsible assessed a rockfall as an event of the coming weeks or months and considered the residual risk as acceptable – the hiking trail remained open.
Giacometti's statement, four co-defendants silent
During her questioning, Anna Giacometti referred to the expert opinions at the time. She said she had not been involved in the hazard assessment and had relied on the corresponding estimates. Neither a closure had been recommended nor discussed. The four other defendants refused to make a statement.
Conditional fines requested
The prosecutor is requesting conditional fines. He refrained from making harsher demands, in part because none of the defendants have a criminal record. Three days of trial have been scheduled – Monday to Wednesday. The verdict is to be pronounced on 4 September in Pontresina.
Long path to court
There was already a proceeding concerning the Bondo rockfall in 2019. At that time, the prosecutor's office discontinued the investigation on the grounds that the event was not foreseeable – supported by a report from the cantonal office in which two potential suspects had collaborated. Relatives of the eight deceased challenged this decision and achieved a ruling before the Federal Court in 2021 requiring the prosecutor's office to reopen the investigation. The current indictment is based on an independent external expert report that describes the warning signs and refers to the failure to impose a closure as "unacceptable risk".
Source: SRF