Overview

• On July 16, the Rome Appellate Court ruled that engineer Costantino Bonaiuti’s killing of his ex-partner was not premeditated and allowed generic mitigating factors.
• The judges reduced his conviction from life imprisonment to 24 years and eight months in prison.
• Critics including Scialdone’s mother and the Insieme a Marianna association argue that removing the premeditation aggravator undermines justice in gender-based killings.
• The ruling spotlights ongoing debates over inconsistent use of aggravating factors in femicide cases and calls for clearer sentencing guidelines.
• Evidence presented at trial showed Bonaiuti had carried a Glock pistol without authorization and stalked Scialdone with constant messages and a hidden GPS device.