Matteo Di Pietro, the twenty-year-old founder of the YouTube collective Theborderline , was sentenced to four years and four months in prison for vehicular homicide and assault.
The accident occurred on June 14, 2023, in Rome , when Di Pietro, driving a rented Lamborghini SUV, hit a Smart car carrying a woman and her two children, aged five and seven. Five-year-old Manuel died instantly, while his mother and sister were injured.
The preliminary investigations judge of the Rome court recognized mitigating circumstances for Di Pietro, who pleaded guilty and apologized to the victim's family.
Manuel's mother commented on the sentence, saying she was "prepared" and that "it will remain a tragedy for a family."
The incident occurred during a social 'challenge' by the YouTuber collective.
According to the preliminary investigations judge's precautionary order granting Di Pietro house arrest, the car was traveling at over 124 km/h "immediately before impact" with the Smart. Four other people were aboard the SUV, filming the incident with their cell phones.
The investigating judge wrote in the order that the twenty-year-old had rented the powerful SUV "with the sole and obvious aim of impressing and capturing the attention of young web visitors to increase advertising revenue, at the expense of safety and responsibility."
The incident has sparked a heated debate on the use of social networks and road safety.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini commented on the sentence, saying, "Four years for killing a five-year-old child? A justice reform is absolutely necessary."
"Regarding the publication of the video that shows the phases of the accident by some news sites, I believe it is an inappropriate choice and from which I distance myself. Personally, in agreement with my client, we have always believed it necessary to maintain maximum confidentiality for the protection of everyone in consideration of the dramatic nature of the event".
This is what lawyer Antonella Benveduti , Matteo Di Pietro 's defender, states.
as long as we are faced with sentences like this in Italy things will always get worse. but what mitigating circumstances can there be for an individual who does something like this. it is a shameful sentence. but do we realize the enormity of the act committed? with sentences like this unfortunately how many more of these incidents will have to happen. for certain crimes, plea bargaining, abbreviated rite or other similar shortcuts should not even be taken into consideration