Harassment of 13-year-old in Turin, judge releases 42-year-old: clash between judiciary and government
The investigating judge in Turin has released the suspect accused of harassment against a 13-year-old in a minimarket, ordering him to report regularly to police. The decision triggers a fierce confrontation between politics and the judiciary.
Turin, suspect in harassment of 13-year-old released: open clash between judiciary and government
According to ANSA Cronaca, the case of the thirteen-year-old harassed in a minimarket in the Borgo Vittoria district of Turin has reignited institutional tensions between politics and the judiciary. The judge for preliminary investigations has ordered the release of the 42-year-old suspect, replacing the precautionary custody with a simple reporting requirement, justifying the decision by the fact that the man has no criminal record and has shown remorse — he had appeared "sorry" during the validation hearing.
The prosecution has already moved to contest the ruling and is preparing an appeal to the review tribunal, arguing that the precautionary needs cannot be guaranteed by the simple reporting requirement and that the suspect should remain in prison for a further period.
Government announces inspectors, judiciary responds
Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio, with the endorsement of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has announced the deployment of a ministerial task force to "acquire every useful assessment" of the case. The National Association of Magistrates (ANM) responded sharply: president Giuseppe Tango described the initiative as "not orthodox", clarifying that evaluating the merits of individual proceedings does not fall within the remit of inspectors from the Ministry. The same position was expressed by the ANM in Piedmont.
The Union of Italian Criminal Courts (UCPI) also distanced itself from the deployment of inspectors: "The decision of the investigating judge in Turin can be criticised on the merits, but it cannot be distorted by the usual media oversimplification and instrumentalised for political purposes. The deployment of inspectors appears entirely unjustified and risks translating into undue pressure on the autonomy of the judicial power". Roberto Capra, president of the Subalpine Criminal Court, chose satire, publishing a story in similar Roman dialect with an imaginary dialogue between two inspectors.
Voices from government
From the executive, a reply came from the Minister for the Family Eugenia Roccella: "When minors are involved, a system founded on guarantees is called upon to protect especially and above all the weakest party, namely the victim. The deployment of inspectors is a response to an evident need for verification". Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described the judge's choice as "surreal" and reiterated the proposal for chemical castration, already "in force in various civilised Western countries".
The order and the merits of the ruling
Lawyer Gian Domenico Caiazza, president of the Osservatorio Liberale of the Luigi Einaudi Foundation and former president of the UCPI, clarified that "the precautionary order of the investigating judge in Turin, if one takes the trouble to read it, is based on coordinates and on logics provided for by the rules". Tango admitted that the ruling "obviously can be criticised", but emphasised that the executive's criticisms went beyond permissible limits, speaking of "unruly attacks".
It also emerged that, just minutes before harassing the thirteen-year-old, the same man had allegedly groped another customer, a woman in her forties. Police are on the trail of the second victim to ascertain whether she intends to file a complaint.
The minimarket closed, graffiti on the wall
The shop, located in the Borgo Vittoria district, was found closed today. There is no formal order from the police headquarters, but for days the police have been conducting administrative inspections on the management of the business. Brothers of Italy expressed appreciation for the lowered shutters. On a wall nearby, graffiti appeared reading "infamous paedophile".
Source: ANSA Cronaca