Overview

• Judge Mario La Rosa declared all eight former trainee pilots not guilty, stating that the alleged facts did not subsist.
• The court reclassified the injury charge from lesioni to percosse and deemed it non‑prosecutable due to a late complaint.
• Prosecutor Antonio Sgarrella had requested one‑year prison sentences for each defendant before the verdict.
• The case stemmed from a 2018 'battesimo del volo' at the Enrico Comani air base, where prosecutors alleged whipping with reeds, a shove against a wing, and a pool toss.
• Reactions included the State’s lawyer calling it an acquittal in the name of the Air Force, defense counsel praising the judge’s balance, and Schiff’s lawyer saying the ruling aligns with the Air Force inquiry.