Scafati, man who killed his sister with a hammer: prosecutor seeks 21 years on appeal

A new twist has emerged in the Scafati murder trial, where a 58-year-old woman died after five months in a coma following a violent hammer attack. Before the Salerno Court of Assizes of Appeal, the Attorney General requested a 21-year prison sentence for AP, 62, the victim's brother, charged with voluntary manslaughter.

In the second instance trial, an expert report was submitted by the expert appointed by the Court of Assizes of Appeal to assess the defendant's mental capacity and reconstruct the circumstances of the crime. In the first instance trial, AP was sentenced to 11 years in prison, significantly less than the 24 years requested by the prosecution at the time, partly due to the absence of aggravating circumstances deemed proven by the judges.

The motive: the dispute over the inheritance

According to the prosecution's reconstruction, the crime was triggered by bitter family tensions over the management of the family estate and inheritance issues. The relationship between the two brothers had long been marked by conflict, which then escalated into a violent argument that culminated in the attack.

Investigators believe that the financial dispute triggered the escalation that led the 62-year-old to grab a hammer and repeatedly hit his sister in the head, leaving her lying on the floor in a pool of blood in the family home.

The dynamics of the crime

The incident occurred on March 14, 2022. That day, the two brothers met at the family's apartment in Scafati. During a heated argument, the man allegedly grabbed a hammer and struck his 58-year-old sister several times in the head.

The alarm was immediately raised, and the woman was rushed to the hospital, where she underwent delicate neurosurgery. Her condition, however, remained critical: after five months in a coma, the 58-year-old died in the hospital ward, automatically aggravating her brother's charges.

From the first degree to the appeal

In October 2024, the competent court sentenced AP to 11 years in prison, following a trial that lasted approximately two years. The sentence, less than the prosecutor's request, was justified by the lack of certain aggravating circumstances and the partial reclassification of certain aspects contested by the defense.

The case now passes to the Salerno Court of Assizes of Appeal, which will evaluate the new expert report and the Attorney General's request to increase the sentence to 21 years in prison. A decision is expected in the upcoming hearings, following the submissions of the civil parties and the defendant's defense.