A 16-year-long trial, continuous postponements and a growing feeling of impotence. Roberto Saviano, the writer who symbolizes the fight against organized crime, vented at the end of yet another postponement of the appeal hearing for the threats made against him and journalist Rosaria Capacchione during the famous Spartacus trial in 2008.
"I'm thinking of filing a complaint against Francesco Bidognetti. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a setup." Saviano told the journalists present. The proceedings, which see former Casalesi boss Bidognetti and his lawyer Michele Santonastaso as defendants, have been postponed once again. This time the cause is a medical certificate sent by Santonastaso's new lawyer, who attested to his client's sudden renal colic.
In the first instance, the judges of the fourth criminal section of the Court of Rome had sentenced Bidognetti to one year and six months, while Santonastaso had received a sentence of one year and two months. However, the appeal process continues to suffer delays due to missing notifications and justified absences.
"A system with a mafia vocation"
Saviano expressed harsh criticism towards the Italian judicial system, denouncing its slowness, which in his opinion ends up favoring the accused: "Anti-mafia trials in Italy are subject to endless delays.
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For Saviano, the problem is not only the length of the trials, but the social and political context that continues to underestimate the extent of the mafia phenomenon: "Criminal organizations have won. It's not enough to jail the bosses: they rule from prison, protecting their capital on the outside, while everything focuses on the crimes of small-time criminals or desperate immigrants."
The writer then underlined the absence of public and political figures in processes of this type: "Have you ever seen a politician here? Any public figure, aside from my friends or Rosaria Capacchione's? Journalists targeted by criminal organizations are a nuisance, unless they're useful to some political party."
Saviano concluded with bitterness: "The criminal economy remains the most thriving in Italy, with over €100 million in daily earnings. But we continue to discuss immigrant crimes. See you at the next postponement." The next chapter in this long legal case, therefore, remains unresolved, awaiting a new date that, hopefully, will finally bring a conclusion. Meanwhile, Saviano's alarm is rising loudly against a system that, he claims, not only fails to protect victims, but ends up benefiting criminals.
Comments (2)
Really sad situation, it seems that justice is always in favor of criminals. Let's hope this long wait ends soon.
It's strange that after so many years the trials never end, they always seem to be delayed. Saviano is right, the justice system doesn't work as it should and the real culprits get away with it. But who listens to the voices of those who suffer? The mafia is a serious problem and should not be ignored.