Rome - "We hope that Italian justice will act swiftly." Nearly two years after the tragedy at sea that killed Adrienne Vaughan, a 45-year-old American business manager, her husband, Mike White, is once again demanding truth and accountability.
The woman, president of Bloomsbury USA – the publishing house that publishes, among others, the Harry Potter novels – died on August 4, 2022 after the gozzo on which she was traveling with her family crashed into the sailing ship Tortuga, off the coast of Fiordo di Furore.
Adrienne was sunbathing on the bow. After the impact, she fell into the water and was hit by the same boat as the skipper tried to free herself, suffering serious injuries that caused her death by blood loss.
The skipper is being investigated for aggravated manslaughter: according to the investigations coordinated by the Salerno Prosecutor's Office, he was driving under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. The shipping company is also being investigated.
«The Saint Tropez – White reports – was not even fit for navigation, it had no rudder, and the skipper should not have been driving that day: he was a support worker, not an authorised pilot».
The man also points the finger at Tortuga, which – he claims – «should have activated the emergency acoustic signal». A timely alarm, according to the family, would perhaps have allowed Adrienne to be saved.
"What happened," White explains, "was not an accident, but the result of serious violations and negligence. It is unacceptable that in one of Italy's most important tourist destinations, the Amalfi Coast , people could die due to such superficial management of maritime safety."
The case is also being followed by the US Embassy, which recently discussed it with the Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio. The White-Vaughan family is being assisted by an Italian-American legal team composed of lawyers Dario Costanzo, Marco Bona, Giulia Oberto and Anna Graziosi.
The tragedy of Adrienne Vaughan is very sad, but there are many questions to ask. I hope that Italian justice will take its course and clarify all the responsibilities involved in this dangerous situation.
I don't understand how it is possible that there have been so many mistakes in the management of safety at sea. It is important that the authorities take serious measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.