Sentence reduced on appeal for Paolo Iannelli, the well-known Neapolitan orthopedist sentenced in the first instance to nine years of imprisonment in the trial on patients “diverted” from the Cardarelli hospital to a private clinic. The second section of the Court of Appeal of Naples, presided over by Maria Francica, reduced the sentence to seven years and eleven months, after having acquitted the doctor of one of the charges “because the fact does not exist” and declared three others time-barred.
The Court's decision represents a substantial confirmation of the accusatory framework outlined in the first instance by the Naples Prosecutor's Office, represented by the prosecutor Henry John Woodcock. The judges in fact held Iannelli responsible for most of the charges that had been brought against him, confirming the seriousness of the contested facts.
Along with the criminal conviction, Iannelli was also ordered to pay the legal costs and those incurred by the civil parties, including some patients and the hospital. Cardarelli, directly involved in the scandal. The sentence for the other doctor accused in the trial, Mario Chiantera, remains unchanged, he too called to pay the costs of the trial.
The case has attracted great public and media attention, shedding light on a system of corruption that has cast shadows on professional ethics and the management of public health. With this ruling, justice has taken a further step towards the truth, outlining individual responsibilities in a story that has deeply affected citizens' trust in the health system.
Article published on 26 September 2024 - 14:14
