Italy’s ruling parties are calling for a presidential pardon for a 72-year-old jeweller who killed two robbers after a raid on his shop in 2021. The jeweller, Mario Roggero, received strong backing from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition, which argued that he had been defending his life and property.
Case Details
Roggero shot dead two men and wounded a third after they robbed his jewellery store in Grinzane Cavour, a small town in northern Italy. Video footage showed Roggero chasing the men outside after the robbery had taken place. His wife and daughter were in the shop when the robbers entered, carrying a toy gun and a knife.
Italy’s supreme court rejected an appeal against the 14-year, 9-month prison sentence imposed on Roggero, upholding rulings that he had gone beyond the limits of legitimate self-defence because the threat posed by the robbers had passed.
The case has deeply divided public opinion in Italy, with some believing that Roggero exceeded the bounds of legitimate self-defence when he opened fire outside the shop. The ruling parties, however, are seeking a pardon, arguing that any prison term would effectively amount to a life sentence given Roggero’s age.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
