A case of vigilante justice has Italy on the brink of political collapse. Mario Roggero, a 72-year-old jeweler, was definitively sentenced to 14 years in prison for killing two thieves who were fleeing after robbing his store in Grinzane Cavour, province of Cuneo. But the ruling right-wing, led by Giorgia Meloni, wants to pardon him, and the country is split in two.
The events occurred in April 2021. Three criminals armed with a knife and a fake gun burst into the jewelry store, tied up Roggero’s relatives, and took the day’s takings. As they left the shop and got into a car to escape, the jeweler chased them with his legal pistol and shot them in the back, killing two. The courts ruled out self-defense: they considered that at the time of the shooting there was no longer any danger. The Court of Cassation upheld the verdict of voluntary homicide and set compensation of 480,000 euros for the victims’ families.
But the right is not giving up. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio announced that he has initiated proceedings to grant him a pardon, sparking the fury of President Sergio Mattarella, who reminded him that the power to pardon is exclusive to the head of state. Meanwhile, Matteo Salvini’s League is collecting signatures to request a presidential pardon. «After a lifetime of work, going to jail at 72 is not fair,» said Salvini, who even proposed making Roggero a candidate for parliament to keep him out of prison.
The jeweler has become a symbol of the right. In less than 24 hours, his Instagram followers jumped from 60,000 to 148,000. Celebrities, models, footballers, and even the Prince of Savoy, Emanuele Filiberto, joined the support. Three petitions on Change.org have surpassed 265,000 signatures. «I am pleasantly surprised by the affection,» said Roggero, aware of being used politically.
But not everyone is celebrating. The jeweler’s daughter, Silvia Roggero, was pessimistic and said she did not want to take sides in this divisive climate. Caterina Spinelli, sister of one of the dead thieves, stated: «He was not a monster, he deserved justice, not to be killed like that.»
The fear within the ruling party is that the controversial former general Roberto Vannacci, who formed the party Future Nation and has already surpassed 10% in polls, will appropriate the cause. That is why Meloni, who avoided directly mentioning the jeweler so as not to irritate Mattarella, wrote on social media: «You attack me. I defend myself. And I should compensate you? That’s not fair.» She recalled that her government introduced a rule preventing criminals from claiming compensation.
Columnist Massimo Gramellini summed up the paradox: «The country’s instinct sympathizes with Roggero, but reason forces us to remember that shooting someone who is fleeing is not the same as shooting someone who is about to shoot you.»
che pero en q pais vivimos?? para mi esto es fascismo puro la derecha quiere indultar a un asesino q les tiro por la espalda a dos pibes xq eran chorros?? me parece q se estan cargando la justicia social los pobres siempre presos los ricos libres q asco mamita querida
para mi esto es justicia de verdad matar a dos chorros q te entraron a robar no es crimen es limpieza meloni la unica sensata el resto unos tibios ojala lo indulten y le den una medalla viva la legitima defensa carajo