Mattia Lucarelli, son of former striker Cristiano Lucarelli, and Federico Apolloni were sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for the gang rape of a 22-year-old American student.
Three other friends involved received more lenient sentences: one was sentenced to two years and eight months, and the other two to two years and five months.
The trial, concluded in the first instance with an abbreviated procedure, concerns an episode that occurred between 26 and 27 March 2022. Lucarelli and Apolloni had been placed under house arrest in January last year, only to be released five months later.
Judge Roberto Crepaldi also ordered the payment of a provisional sum of 50 thousand euros to the girl, largely accepting the request of the PM Alessia Menegazzo, but requalifying the charges.
In the most serious case, he contested sexual violence not by coercion but by induction, believing that the alleged rape had taken advantage of the victim's inferior state, who had drunk a lot.
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For the other incident, he applied the mitigating circumstance of "minimal contribution" to the three accomplices and granted mitigating circumstances to all five defendants. The sentencing reasons will be filed within 90 days.
Lucarelli Jr. on Instagram: "It's a blow."
After the sentence, Lucarelli Jr commented on Instagram: "It's a blow, especially because we hoped to close this story immediately despite the difficulties. Things often don't go as they should. We knew we weren't fighting against facts but against a historical moment and the pressure of the media."
Lawyer Margherita Benedini, part of the defense team together with Leonardo Cammarata, Lucarelli and Apolloni's lawyer, stated: "They're devastated because they're normal 20-year-olds. It's a sentence we don't agree with and is difficult to understand. After reading the judge's reconstruction, we'll appeal."
The 22-year-old American was approached by the two footballers
According to the investigation, the 22-year-old American was approached by the two footballers, then signed by Livorno, and three other friends outside the 'Il Gattopardo' nightclub in Milan, and was then taken to Mattia Lucarelli's apartment, where the rape allegedly took place.
The file contains videos of the alleged abuse found on the boys' phones, who have always denied the accusations, but which investigators believe demonstrate the girl's inability to express consent.
