After thirty-four years in prison, sentenced to life imprisonment, with "never ending sentence", for murders committed during the mafia war in Gela (Caltanissetta), Paolo Di Giacomo, 77 , is released on parole to work in Gela, where he has found a company available.
For the judges of the Naples surveillance court, where Di Giacomo was detained, his life change was decisive. "His conduct is commendable," wrote the priest who heads the association for which Di Giacomo worked for ten years, supporting minors, in his reports.
In 2016, after fourteen years under the 41-bis regime, Di Giacomo was granted semi-liberty and began volunteering with minors, returning to prison in the evenings after his shifts. The man, who was also convicted for the 1990 Gela massacre for being part of the "stiddari" gang , has never cooperated, but according to the judges, he no longer has ties to the mafia, and his possible cooperation with justice has been deemed "unenforceable," given the time that has passed.
The probation judges, after initially rejecting his parole, upheld the appeal, filed by defense attorney Giulio Bennici . The Supreme Court of Cassation had already ordered an initial annulment, with the case remanded to the magistrates. The defense insisted on his complete change of life. "It's true, Di Giacomo never financially compensated the victims," says attorney Bennici, "but his uninterrupted detention since 1992 has prevented him from doing so. The judges, however, emphasize that his complete change of life and his dedication to others is already a form of moral compensation."
(Unioneonline)
