Costa Concordia captain sentenced to 16 years

The captain of the Costa Concordia has been convicted of multiple manslaughter charges and now faces 16 years in prison.

Francesco Schettino, who was at the helm of the ship when it sank off the coast of Italy in 2012, was not present when the verdict was read in an Italian courtroom this week, according to a report by the BBC. Schettino is expected to appeal the conviction, said the report.

The cruise ship sank near the island of Giglio after striking rocks close to the shoreline, causing the evacuation of approximately 4,000 passengers and crew from the 290-metre vessel. Thirty-two people were killed in the disaster.