Trial of Ciro Grillo and four friends: jump the sentence for a mourning that hit the judge at the head of the college

“This is an extremely painful affair because when a complaint for sexual violence is made unfortunately, often, the victim is not only put on the defendants’ counter, but is radiographed as if a CT was made by the contrast medium”. Giulia Bongiorno thus described the position of the girl that she defends in the process for group sexual violence in which they are charged Ciro Grillo, son of the comedian and founder of the M5s Beppe, and three of his friends, Francesco Corsiglia, Edoardo Capitta and Vittorio Lauria. The girl would have liked to be in the classroom in the last hearing and for the moment of the sentence which however was postponed.

The postponement of the death of the son of Marco Contuthe president of the college judgmental. The latest replicas of four lawyers and the council chamber with the final sentence have jumped. The new date is that of 22 September.

The reconstruction

Ciro Grillo, Francesco Corsiglia, Edoardo Capitta and Vittorio Lauria are accused of group sexual violence against an Italo Norwegian student and his peer. The facts date back to the night between 16 and 17 July 2019 in the holiday home of the Grillo family in Cala di Volpe, in Sardinia. The end of the trial comes over six years from the facts and after three of hearing. At the time of the facts the young woman was twenty years old. The girl made a report for group sexual violence. He said he was raped by Corsiglia and then by all the others together. With her there was another girl who slept during violence, but who equally signed a complaint against the defendants. On their mobile phones, images were found that show them in sexual attitudes next to her sleeping.

The process

The trial took place in Tempio Pausania. Three years of investigation and as many in the classroom. Giulia Bongiorno explained that she expects “a sentence in which it is recognized that this complaint so difficult, is a not only correct complaint, but a real feedback to the fact that the choice to report in Italy has a sense still today”. And again: «It ends up that the offended person must demonstrate that he has not sought it, that he has not caused. As part of my harangue I pointed out that this X -ray has not produced anything. The girl chose to report. It is clear that reporting means paying these consequences ». The Prosecutor asked for a nine -year sentence for the defendants. For the prosecutor Gregorio Capasso they adapted their version according to the investigation, while the girl has always repeated the same things without ever changing her statements. Corsiglia is the only one who admitted a sexual relationship in the classroom, but consenting. They are defended by Alessandro Vaccaro, Andrea Vernazza, Mariano Mameli and Antonella Cuccureddu

The public prosecutor Gregorio Capasso spoke for three hours in the last reply, remembering that “the three sexual violence suffered by the girl took place one after the other and for this we must contest the aggravating circumstance of the continuation of the crime. The young woman never went to buy cigarettes that night as they want to believe the legal defenders ».

Defense lawyers spoke of the victim’s inconsistency. Ernesto Monteverde who defends Edoardo Capitta said: «To deny facts like kisses with Ciro are not small mistakes but serious contradictions. The bruises that she denounces that she had in violence has not seen anyone. And they are not even seen in the costume photos taken on the next few days. It is hateful to undergo sexual crimes but it is equally hateful to be accused of it. The reaction you expect from a person who is raped is not that had by the young woman. In his case, in that context: Scappi, knock on the door, ask for help. You are not on a desert island ». Ciro Grillo’s defender said that the young woman recorded 387 critical issues between contradictions and I don’t remember and never went beyond any reasonable doubt as a sentence should be. «For each year of prison asked by the accusation, they are fifty. Many, many. How can we say that it is reliable? Some witnesses of the victim said “I don’t remember” even before the lawyers asked questions. In this process we saw world champions, of the “I don’t remember” Maradona ».

When the victim ends up on the defendants’ counter and is guilty

Valeria De Vellis, a lawyer specialized in family law, the person and the successions, explains why asking certain questions in court for the victim is a new trauma. It is violence against violence, it is secondary victimization

During the summer hearings Giulia Bongiorno retraced the trial for the young woman. “My assisted was heard in this classroom with an exam that lasted 35 hours. 1675 questions were asked, the emotion has overwhelmed it 18 times to the point that it was necessary to stop the hearing. I don’t know if in judicial history there is another witness to which 1675 questions were addressed. I will remain I believe crystallized in this process the fact that the contradictory has not been limited. President, however: there are also the rights of the victim. I don’t know how all those questions can be endured. But she held up. He held 1675 questions always answering in a coherent way. When he doesn’t remember, he says I don’t know, he never invent. This girl has never been reported to date. How come no one has denounced for slander if he brings. Why? Everyone yesterday were concentrated to see Ciro in tears, my client too, she was also in tears, remember? Violence against women arises from a discrimination of man towards women. Be careful: here the problem is that still, in 2025, There are men who consider the woman to be lower and irrelevant her freedom and the will to self -determine. In this process this vision of the woman emerges, a woman whose consent is zero. “