President Mattarella signed four pardon decrees today .
Two of these cases caused a stir and sparked heated public debate. The clemency measures concern Gabriele Finotello, Massimo Zen, Patrizia Attinà, and Ancuta Strimbu.
The Massimo Zen case hit the headlines in April 2017, when he killed carny operator Manuel Major while fleeing in a car with two accomplices after robbing an ATM . Zen was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison for the crimes of voluntary manslaughter and unlawful communication and is serving his sentence in Verona prison. In granting the partial pardon—which eliminated three years and three months of the remaining prison sentence—the President of the Republic took into account the favorable opinion expressed by the Supervisory Magistrate, the compensation for damages agreed upon with the victim's relatives, and the convicted man's health. As a result of the measure , Zen will serve a sentence of no more than four years in prison and could therefore be eligible for probation .
The case of Gabriele Finotello, who killed his abusive father with a hammer, dates back to February 22, 2021. The young man was sentenced to 14 years in prison . In this case too, the Quirinale assessed the context of the murder, which arose in a difficult family situation in which Gabriele's father, an alcoholic, repeatedly abused him, his mother, and his brother . According to evidence that emerged on the day of the murder, Gabriele found his father drunk and the two began arguing. The father reportedly reminded his son of past abuse. This is where the violence and murder began . After the attack, however, Gabriele attempted to help his father, calling for help and waiting for the police at home.
Less well-known to the general public are the cases of Patrizia Attinà and Ancuta Strimbu . For the former, sentenced to a total of two years, eight months, and twenty days in prison for the crimes of theft and extortion , the Quirinale recalls that consideration was given to "the favorable opinion expressed by the supervisory magistrate, the time elapsed since the commission of the crimes, the pardon granted by the victim of the more serious crime, and the convicted woman's living and health conditions."
