Rome’s Appeals Court has reversed prior judgments by recognizing a Carabiniere officer as a “victim of duty” for injuries sustained during a 2014 anti-crime operation. On June 4, 2014, the officer was violently rammed en route to a crime scene, sustaining a cranial trauma, cervical and pelvic fractures, and permanent disabilities. The court rejected the initial characterization of him as “a mere driver,” compelling the Interior Ministry to confer full victim-of-duty status with associated benefits.
The now-retired officer will receive approximately €400,000 in back payments and a monthly pension of €2,300. The verdict stated he was struck while responding with his superior to reported gunfire in an area under organized crime surveillance—concluding the activity inherently involved institutional risk without requiring “additional danger.”
Expressing bitterness over the protracted legal battle, the ex-officer declared, “I served the state loyally and never imagined fighting this hard for my rights,” dedicating the victory to fallen comrades.