An appeals court in Rome has reduced the sentence of Costantino Bonaiuti, an engineer convicted of murdering lawyer Martina Scialdone, from life imprisonment to 24 years and 8 months. The fatal shooting occurred on January 13, 2023, outside a restaurant in the city’s Appio Latino district. Rome’s Court of Assize of Appeal overturned the original life sentence after excluding the aggravating factor of premeditation.
The victim’s mother, Viviana Scialdone, denounced the ruling: “I’m truly disappointed; I expected the life sentence to be upheld. Justice has not been served. In other femicide cases, life sentences have been confirmed.”