The new life sentence imposed on Costantino Bonaiuti in the retrial over the killing of lawyer Martina Scialdone changes the punishment through a specific legal finding: Rome's Court of Assize of Appeal recognised the aggravating circumstance of premeditation.
ANSA reported that the judges accepted the request from the prosecutor general and sentenced Bonaiuti to life imprisonment. The ruling does not revisit whether he bears criminal responsibility. ANSA said that part of the case had already become final after the Court of Cassation sent the proceedings back for a new appeal hearing concerning the sentence and the aggravating circumstance.
That distinction matters because the first appeal had reduced the sentence to 24 years and eight months. By recognising premeditation, the appeal retrial replaced that sentence with life imprisonment. On the material available, this is the concrete legal change produced by the new ruling.
The decision should be understood for what it does establish, rather than treated as a ritual response to a fatal violence case. The life sentence follows the acceptance of an aggravating factor sought after the Cassation referral; it is not a new finding of criminal responsibility.
ANSA does not provide the full judgment or the evidence on which the court assessed premeditation. It is therefore not possible to reconstruct the court's full reasoning or anticipate any action by the defence. The reported development is the aggravating finding that brought the penalty back to life imprisonment.
Sources
- ANSA · Top news · Source date: 2026-11-11
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-11