Italian court halves sentence for attempted strangling of 86‑year‑old in Crotone

The Italian Supreme Court (Cassazione) upheld an appeal by Roberto Perfetto, reducing the penalty for the violent assault on an 86‑year‑old man in Crotone. The original trial at the Crotone court sentenced Perfetto to 16 years; the Court of Appeal lowered it to 14 years 3 months. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, the case was remanded to the Court of Appeal in Catanzaro, which further cut the sentence to 7 years 7 months.

The attack occurred in July 2023 during a dispute, when Perfetto attempted to strangle the elderly victim. Police intervened, preventing a potentially fatal outcome. Perfetto is represented by lawyer Gianni Russano of the Catanzaro bar. The reduced sentence marks a substantial halving of the previous term.