The four alleged human traffickers aboard the "Summer Love" dinghy that sank some 100 meters off the coast of Steccato di Cutro in the region of Calabria on February 26 will appear in court in mid-October.

The shipwreck left behind a trail of death: 94 confirmed victims, among them 35 children, some only a few months old, and a dozen missing. Only 82 survived.

Four people are being held accountable for the tragedy: two Turkish and two Pakistani citizens. They are charged with aiding and abetting clandestine migration, culpable shipwreck and manslaughter.

Crotone public prosecutor Pasquale Festa has requested and obtained an immediate trial from the local judge Massimo Forciniti. The defendants have 15 days to request an alternative proceeding.

Identified via witness accounts

Investigators and prosecutors were able to identify and charge the defendants thanks to dramatic witness accounts given by the survivors, which were collected in an extensive recording of evidence procedure that lasted weeks.

The prosecutor's indictment assigns each man on board the dinghy a specific role and responsibility and challenges the actions taken once the dinghy was approaching shore -- in particular the abrupt steering of the boat, likely fueled by the fear of having been spotted by Italian authorities due to some lights on the beach.

This action was likely motivated by the intention of returning to Turkey with the same dinghy once the migrants had disembarked. This steering maneuver, coupled with the sea conditions and the presence of a shallow, caused the vessel to crash into the seabed and wreck.

Two defendants are also charged with prohibiting the migrants from calling for help. This aspect has been underscored by numerous survivors who mentioned there was a frequency jamming device on board to impede any phone calls during the sea crossing.

Shortcomings of the rescue chain

The court case does not end with the prosecution of the alleged human traffickers.

The prosecution has opened a second file concerning possible negligence in the rescue chain. Six persons are under investigation for this file, among them three officers on duty that night.

The inquiry aims to ascertain what possibly went wrong in the system that should have guaranteed assistance to the dinghy.

Searches related to the investigation were conducted in the headquarters of the Finance and Coast Guards in June. The material collected is now being analyzed by the prosecution in Crotone.