Caivano - There was no intention to kill, but rather an accidental collision, which occurred while the defendant was attempting to escape an attack. With this reasoning, the Court of Naples North acquitted Pasquale Russo, 35, a resident of Caivano, of the charge of attempted murder aggravated by premeditation and frivolous motives.
The panel, presided over by Judge Paccharini, after a trial that lasted approximately three years, handed down a sentence of acquittal "because the fact does not exist" and declared "no action should be taken" in relation to the crime of negligent injury, due to the lack of a complaint from the party.
The events date back to March 2023, when a young man of Argentine origin, then resident in Caivano, was seriously injured after being hit by a Fiat 500X near Parco Verde, near the Maiorano Institute. According to the reconstruction revealed in court, the incident occurred in a tense situation, sparked by an altercation between the defendant and two other people, which later escalated into a fight.
During the altercation, the victim also intervened, suffering a neck wound—the responsibility for which has never been clarified—while Russo, also attacked, fled the scene in his car. While trying to escape, he was hit, causing the young Argentinean to suffer serious injuries to his pelvis, ribs, arms, and face.
Immediately after the incident, Russo was identified as the alleged driver of the vehicle, stopped, and arrested. The reports alleged a deliberate hit-and-run, stemming from a criminal incident involving an alleged drug theft. However, this was not proven: the defendant had no prior criminal record, either for common or organized crime.
The defense argument presented by attorney Massimo Viscusi was decisive in the acquittal. It was fully accepted by the panel of judges and supported by a detailed technical report on the dynamics of the accident, prepared by expert Dr. Bassani, with offices in Varese and Milan. The report ruled out the possibility of the collision being intentional, highlighting the lack of certain and unequivocal evidence to support the accusation.
The judges also deemed the victim's accusatory statements, which were later retracted and deemed inconsistent, unreliable and contradictory, as well as the other evidence supporting the prosecution's case insufficient.
Once the attempted murder charge was dropped, the crime was subsequently reclassified as negligent assault, but the Court also dismissed this charge due to the lack of a complaint.
"The choice of the ordinary trial, the defense strategies adopted, and the lack of objective evidence have allowed us to dismantle the extremely serious initial charges," commented attorney Viscusi at the end of the hearing. The reasons for the sentence will be filed within 90 days.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (2)
I believe the court's decision was well-reasoned, but I remain somewhat skeptical about the truth of the facts. There are always more questions than answers when it comes to such serious accidents.
The acquittal of Pasquale Russo is an interesting case that raises many questions about how justice is administered in such complicated situations. It's important to understand the dynamics to avoid misunderstandings in future cases.