Court in Italy overturns murder verdict
In Italy, the lifting of a murder verdict for a man who killed his girlfriend in the early phase of the Corona-Pandemic in Italy causes outrage. The previous judgment had not adequately considered the mitigating circumstances of the Pandemic and protective measures, according to the Cassation Court in Rome, and sent the case back to the Court of Appeals. Two instances had previously sentenced the man to life imprisonment.
In this case, it concerns the murder of a young medical student from Sicily by her boyfriend in March 2020 during the first lockdown. After an argument, he struck her and ultimately killed her. Later, he claimed to have been in a state of panic due to a fear of infection with the Corona-Virus. The boyfriend, also a medical student, believed his girlfriend had infected him. Tests later revealed that neither he nor his girlfriend were positive. Previously, there had been disputes when his girlfriend coughed.
According to the Cassation Court, "the judges did not examine whether the special circumstances of the Corona-Time and the related difficulties represent criteria that influence the extent of criminal responsibility." Therefore, the case was sent back for re-examination of the judgment.
The decision in Italy causes outrage. Several politicians expressed their confusion and criticism of the court's reasoning. The family of the murdered student also spoke out. "We are really very outraged and there are no words to describe what we feel," said the sister to the newspaper "La Repubblica". "She could have saved so many lives. And just before the completion of her studies, she was killed by the man because he was 'stressed by Corona'. That's insane."
Italy belonged to the first European countries where the Coronavirus spread dramatically in early 2020. In particular, Bergamo became a symbol of the suffering caused by the Pandemic. The shocking images of military trucks transporting coffins filled with the dead from the city to the crematorium circulated around the world.
- The modified murder verdict in Italy, overturning the life sentence for the man who killed his girlfriend during the initial phase of the Corona-Pandemic, has sparked significant backlash.
- Critics argue that the court's decision not to consider the unique circumstances of the Corona-Time and its impact on the accused's state of mind, as stated by the Cassation Court, is questionable in the 'Murder Verdict' case, particularly given the terrible consequences of the Pandemic in Italy.
