Rome, 13 May (LaPresse) – ‘The Minister of Justice cannot comment on an ongoing case. I can only speak in abstract terms, but this situation, which is in a sense paradoxical, stems from legislation that, in my view, should be changed, though it will be very difficult to do so.’ So said the Minister of Justice, Carlo Nordio, on the Garlasco case and the latest developments in the new investigation. The Minister responded to a question from the host of the conference ‘Protecting those who protect: psychological support measures for the Prison Police Corps’, currently taking place in Rome. The Garlasco case – according to the Justice Minister – is the result of “legislation which, in my view, should be changed but will be very difficult to change, whereby a person acquitted at first and second instance can subsequently be convicted without new evidence. And this is what happened sixteen years ago in the first trial”. In short, “let it be absolutely clear that I have not the faintest idea about the circumstances of the crime or its perpetrator, but I have a clear idea about the workings of our legislation, which is flawed”. Because “if a person can only be convicted beyond a reasonable doubt, how can you convict someone who has been acquitted twice, by a criminal court and by a criminal court of appeal?”. Whereas in the Anglo-Saxon system, Nordio added, “all this is absolutely inconceivable”. And “this gives rise to a situation where Italian citizens today are left perplexed, wondering how it can be that one person has served a very heavy sentence as a convicted criminal, whilst another is currently under investigation on the basis of evidence which, according to the prosecution, suggests the perpetrator of the crime is different from the first – it is an anomalous situation, one I have never seen before”.
© Copyright LaPresse
