After 24 years of investigations, trials and twists, the Court of Cassation has decided to rewrite a crucial page in the Serena Mollicone case, annulling the acquittal of the Mottola family and two carabinieri.
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A decision that rekindles hope for justice for the victim's family, but also raises new questions about a still unresolved judicial affair.
“We have hope”: the words of Consuelo, Serena’s sister
“My thoughts go to my sister who I will never see again in my life, as well as my father. We trust in the justice that we have been waiting for for 24 years. From today we have hope”. With these words, Consuelo, sister of Serena Mollicone, commented on the decision of the Cassation.
A ruling that reopens the case and could lead to a new appeal trial, after years of legal battles and waiting for a truth that seemed to be escaping.
The Court of Cassation's decision: the acquittal is annulled
The Court of Supreme Court accepted the appeal presented by the Prosecutor's Office, annulling the acquittal of Franco, Anna Maria and Marco Mottola, together with the Carabinieri Vincenzo Quatrale and Francesco Suprano, for the death of Serena Mollicone.
The Attorney General had defined the appeal as “founded”, highlighting a series of critical issues in the second-degree ruling issued by the Court of Assizes of Appeal of Rome. Among these, the lack of clear reasons for Serena’s presence in the Carabinieri barracks in Arce on the morning of June 1, 2001, the day of her disappearance.
“A deficient and Pilate-like sentence”: the Prosecutor’s criticisms
The Attorney General described the second-instance ruling as “totally lacking” and “Pilatesque in its attitude,” noting that the verdict did not adequately explain some key elements of the case.
In particular, the failure to examine in a unitary manner a series of clues that could have clarified the dynamics of the death of Serena. “The sentence fails to provide any reason for Mollicone’s presence in the barracks that morning,” the prosecutor stated, highlighting how this aspect remained unexplained.
A new trial opens: the "bis" of appeal
With the annulment of the sentence, a new appeal process now opens, the so-called "trial bis". An unprecedented chapter in a story that has spanned decades of investigations, investigative hypotheses and judicial debates. The decision of the Supreme Court represents a turning point, but also the beginning of a new path towards the truth, which Serena's family has been waiting for almost a quarter of a century.
The case Serena Mollicone, with its mysteries and shadows, returns to the centre of the judicial scene, while the family of the young victim hopes that, finally, a long-awaited truth may emerge.
Article published on March 11, 2025 - 21pm
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It is a big decision but there are many questions that remain unanswered. Serena's presence in the barracks is still a mystery and I hope that the new trial will clarify everything. It will take time.