Over 250 years of prison were handed down today by the Court of Naples at the end of the trial that saw thirty-two alleged members of the criminal group from the Salicelle district of Afragola, in the province of Naples, on trial. The sentence, issued by the preliminary hearing judge Iagulli (34th criminal section), also saw the acquittal of four defendants and fines of over 40 thousand euros.
No criminal association for the purpose of drug dealing: this is the surprising decision that concerned the members of the Paziale-Sasso clan of Afragola.
The boss Vittorio Parziale, defended by the lawyers Antonio and Luca Cianferoni, was sentenced to 8 years and 5 months of imprisonment. Acquittal for Anna Maria De Luca, defended by the lawyer Antonio Bucci, who was accused of mafia association.
“Satisfaction” for the sentence of the judge of Naples Maria Gabriella Iagulli, was expressed by the lawyer Bucci for whom “the woman's lack of involvement in the contested facts has been clarified, a woman who faced the trial 'at liberty'.
The Review Court – the professional recalled – had released her from prison on 29 December 2023”. “The sentence of Victor Partial – explained Bucci – concerns common crimes not aggravated by mafia purposes. We are awaiting the reasons to appeal the sentence. We are firmly convinced that the circumstantial evidence does not reveal his involvement even in the facts for which he was convicted in the first instance”. For some of the charges, the judge decided not to issue a sentence because the defendants had already been convicted of those crimes.
The verdict represents a crucial moment for the group, which was under accusation for illicit activities related to drug trafficking. The news comes in a context of growing attention towards the dynamics of organized crime in the municipality of Afragola where the other day there was another anti-Camorra blitz.
The hearing saw the involvement of other accusations and charges related to the clan, but the acquittal by the Gup for the crime of criminal association caused a particular stir. The sentence thus seems to redefine the judicial horizon for the clan's members,
Article published on 13 February 2025 - 19:38
Today's ruling has led to much discussion about how justice works in Italy. It is surprising to see how some have been acquitted while others have received long sentences. It would be interesting to know how the court made these decisions.