Indignation in Italy - Due to Corona-Pandemic: Court overturns murder verdict against man
In Italy, the lifting of a murder verdict for a man who killed his girlfriend during the early phase of the Corona-Pandemic caused 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 Appeals Court. Two instances had previously sentenced the man to life imprisonment.
Man killed his girlfriend, believing she had infected him with Corona
The case 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 eventually strangled her. Later, he claimed to have been in a state of panic over the possibility 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 associated difficulties presented criteria that influenced the extent of criminal responsibility." Therefore, the case was sent back for a re-examination of the judgment.
Decision causes outrage in the entire country
In Italy, the decision caused outrage. Several politicians expressed their confusion and criticized 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 was one of the first European countries where the Coronavirus spread dramatically in early 2020. In particular, Bergamo became a symbol of the suffering inflicted by the Pandemic. The shocking images of military trucks transporting coffins filled with the dead from the city to the crematorium went around the world.
- Despite the controversial murder verdict being overturned due to the early stages of the Coronavirus pandemic, many Italians, including politicians and the victim's family, strongly disputed the ruling, expressing their anger and confusion.
- The Sicilian man, who killed his girlfriend during the initial lockdown in March 2020, claimed that he believed she had infected him with the Coronavirus, which was a significant consideration in the eventual re-examination of the case.
- Despite Italy being one of the first countries in Europe to significantly impacted by the Coronavirus, resulting in numerous deaths in Bergamo, the country remains divided over the leniency displayed in the murder verdict, sparking public outrage and controversy.
