Life sentence for Francesco Pio Maimone's murderer, his father: "He who kills pays."

Naples – After 32 long months of waiting and suffering, justice has provided a definitive answer to the family of Francesco Pio Maimone, the young pizza chef killed in March 2023 during an argument over a dirty shoe. The Naples Court of Appeals upheld Valda's life sentence, acknowledging full responsibility for his brutal act that ended Francesco Pio's life.

The family's reaction

As he left the courtroom, Antonio Maimone, the victim's father, expressed strong emotion to reporters: "We have always believed in the judiciary, and today it has shown that those who commit these crimes pay. Justice still exists." His thanks go to the judges, who, according to the family, have finally delivered justice not only to Francesco Pio but to the entire city, deeply affected by the tragedy.

The apologies rejected

However, the apologies sent by the defendant in a second letter, which arrived too late for the family, did not ease the pain: "I cannot accept Valda's words, especially after the video with the pizza in her hand, which hurt us even more. Forgiveness? Only God and all of Naples can grant it. I am just a citizen, I cannot." Antonio Maimone emphasized, recalling how the killer boasted on social media about his strength in enduring detention, a strength that, after 32 months, now seems exhausted.

The symbol of a wounded city

Tina Maimone, Francesco Pio's mother, was also moved, appealing to the grief of all Neapolitan mothers: "Today more than ever, we honor Pio, the symbol of an entire city. His story has entered every Neapolitan and Italian home, demonstrating the strength of justice but also the need to remember those torn from life by senseless violence."