“Shameful decision” –

Justice is done! The Second Court of Assizes of Appeal of Rome has accepted the defense’s request and granted house arrest to Gabriele Natale Hjorth, the young American whose sentence the judges have already reduced to 11 years and 4 months in the trial for the murder of vice-brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega. As if that were not enough, the American will be able to serve his sentence at his grandmother’s house in Fregene. Meanwhile, the judges have also reduced the sentence of the other convicted American boy, Lee Elder Finnegan, to 15 years and 2 months in prison. In short, whoever kills a carabiniere gets to go on a beach vacation at his grandmother’s house!

The indignant reactions of politicians and the lawyers of Cerciello’s widow were not long in coming. “The shock is great following the decision of the second court of assizes of Rome to accept the requests for house arrest for Gabriel Natale Hjorth. Rosamaria, the wife of Mario Cerciello Rega is totally shocked by the news she learned. As is her habit, she does not intend to comment, but is pervaded by a deep sense of mistrust”. Thus the lawyer Massimo Ferrandino, lawyer of the widow of the carabiniere stabbed to death in Rome in July 2019. “We still do not know the reasons that the court took to drastically reduce the sentences of the two Americans and already one of the two is sent to house arrest in the splendid setting of Fregene – adds the lawyer – Mario Cerciello Rega, a very valiant servant of the State, died under the blows of eleven stab wounds but evidently it was not understood that the stabs had not ended on July 26, five years ago. Rather, it makes you want to think that there is “a Justice in reverse”» concludes Ferrandino.

Even tougher is the position of Senator Gasparri who is asking for an inspection of the Court of Appeal of Rome. “With an urgent question I ask the Minister of Justice Nordio to immediately order an inspection of the Court of Appeal of Rome, which has ordered house arrest for one of the two Americans involved in the killing of the Marshal of the Carabinieri Cerciello – states Gasparri – Despite the sentence of 11 years, moreover derisory, decided on appeal and despite the fact that this American has not compensated in any way the family of Marshal Cerciello, as the excellent lawyer Coppi has objected, his release from prison has been ordered. This is a shameful decision. It offends all the people in uniform. It humiliates the Carabinieri. It offends the Cerciello family. It outrages all honest citizens. The Court of Appeal, without even waiting for compensation, has taken a disconcerting decision. The judiciary writes another page that disheartens honest people. I ask that the Minister of Justice order an immediate inspection of this unspeakable act”.