Ciro Esposito's mother writes to Mattarella: "Give us a sign of justice"

Antonella Leardi, mother of Ciro Esposito, the young man killed before the 2014 Italian Cup final between Naples and Fiorentina in Rome, wrote a letter to the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, after examining the reasons for the sentence with which the Court of Appeal of Rome reduced the sentence for Daniele De Santis, Esposito's murderer, from 26 to 16 years of imprisonment. The letter (available online) has been published and Esposito's parents ask to share it so that it becomes a petition to the Head of State. In the letter, Ciro's mother appeals to Mattarella also as president of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, explaining that she is "disgusted, indignant, furious at how not Justice, but the interpretation of the law has offended the memory of my son, Ciro Esposito, and mocked the pain and the expectation of justice of us and of the Italians. We almost did not want to believe that a court had reduced the sentence from 26 to only 16 years. We were waiting for the reasons for that incomprehensible sentence, to understand. And now we have them. No, Mr. President, I do not accept, I cannot allow the tragedy that destroyed our family to be defined as 'a prank' by the court that was supposed to make us accountable for the crime and the pain that changed our lives, it is an insult that a murder is reduced to an unfortunate 'demonstrative' action. Demonstrative of what? How long can you survive after being shot with a gun? Logic and decency rebel at the idea that someone is trying to justify the murderer, 'intolerant of the presence of so many Neapolitan fans'”. Leardi also refers to the murder of Piersanti Mattarella, brother of the Head of State, killed by the mafia in 1980: "They killed your brother, Mr. President. Can you forget about him? Can you wake up in the morning without thinking: he's not here? Could you tolerate that the reasons for your brother's murder could be read as trivializing his tragedy and his suppressed life with terms such as 'prank', demonstrative action? If the law allows this, the law is wrong. If the law does not allow it, the interpretation of the law is wrong". "If I were not to receive even a sign of greater justice from you - concludes the hitherto Leardi - when you stand up in front of the tricolor or for the national anthem, do not be surprised if I turn my back".