Six years and eight months for mistreatment and sexual assault against a colleague. This is the sentence the Court handed down to Cagliari-based criminal lawyer Massimiliano Ravenna at the end of a long and complicated trial conducted using the expedited procedure.
This afternoon, Judge Giuseppe Pintori found the well-known criminal lawyer responsible for the crimes charged against him by the Prosecutor's Office , acquitting him of some charges and deeming others to be time-barred. Prosecutors Gilberto Ganassi and Nicoletta Mari had requested an eight-year sentence.
The facts at the center of the trial , which the lawyer has always vehemently denied, came to light in 2019, after a complaint against unknown persons filed by his colleague. Following an initial request for dismissal, which was rejected by preliminary investigations judge Cristina Ornano, a lengthy evidentiary hearing ensued. The summary trial also lasted years , with defense attorneys Massimo Ledda and Roberto Borgogno contesting all charges in nearly 20 hours of oral arguments.
"I am very satisfied with the outcome of the trial," said civil party attorney Anna Rodinò Toscano, who is assisting the colleague who filed the complaint. "The sentence finally restores dignity to the injured party, who was deemed highly credible."
The defense lawyers have announced an appeal. "The only emotion one can feel in the face of such a sentence is disbelief," commented the Ravenna defense team. "Not only does the trial provide no evidence to support the statements made by the plaintiff, but dozens and dozens of pieces of positive evidence have been filed demonstrating the non-existence of the alleged facts." The reasons for the decision will be filed within 90 days.