Ercolano Massacre: Immediate Trial for Pasquale Punzo, Vincenzo D'Angelo and Raffaele Boccia. Trial to Start on July 3

Naples – The trial for the Ercolano massacre, the tragedy that occurred last April in which four young workers lost their lives in an explosion inside an illegal factory, will open on July 3, 2025 before the Naples Assize Court, third section.

The Judge for Preliminary Investigations accepted the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office of Naples, ordering the immediate trial of the three main suspects: Pasquale Punzo, Vincenzo D'Angelo and Raffaele Boccia.

The three men will have to answer for voluntary homicide with eventual intent, possession and manufacturing of explosive devices and unconventional pyrotechnic devices, gangmastering and exploitation of labor, as well as serious violations of labor laws.

The tragedy

The case shocked public opinion for the brutality of the dynamics and the widespread illegality that emerged from the investigations. According to the reconstruction by the investigators, the explosion that occurred in an abandoned industrial area of ​​Ercolano was caused by the illegal processing of explosive material, probably intended for the illicit production of fireworks.

Inside the warehouse, which lacked any safety measures, young workers recruited in exploitative conditions, without contracts or protection, worked. The explosion caused the immediate death of four of them, while others were seriously injured.

The accusations

According to the indictment, Punzo, D'Angelo and Boccia would not only have organized and managed the illegal activity, but they would have done so by knowingly accepting the risk of an explosion, thus configuring eventual intent.

Elements collected during the investigations - including testimonies, wiretaps and technical findings - have pushed the Prosecutor's Office to request an immediate trial, considering the evidentiary system solid and already sufficient to avoid going to the preliminary hearing.

In addition to the murder charge, the three will have to answer for violation of labor laws and for having exploited irregular labor, in a context defined by investigators as "true modern slavery".

The trial is scheduled to begin on July 3, when the three defendants will appear before the Assize Court for the first time. The case is also being closely followed by workplace safety associations and trade unions, who are calling for justice for the victims and more effective measures against the caporalato and illegal industrial activities.

The proceedings are expected to be long and complex, but they already represent a clear judicial response to a tragedy that has brought attention back to the scourges of undeclared work and risk in irregular production activities.