Italy's Court of Cassation acquits Colonel Sabatino in Cucchi case

Italy's Court of Cassation has acquitted Colonel Lorenzo Sabatino in the legal proceedings concerning the investigation into the beating and death of Stefano Cucchi. The Fifth Criminal Section of the court granted the request from the general prosecutor's office to annul Sabatino's previous conviction without remand, ruling that the facts did not constitute a crime and noting contradictions in the prior sentence.

The ruling also rejected appeals from other Carabinieri officers whose convictions had been upheld or for whom the statute of limitations had expired. This decision marks the conclusion of a 16-year judicial battle following the 2009 death of the 31-year-old Roman man.

While the acquittal of Sabatino concludes a specific legal chapter, the court's decision definitively recognizes that false reports and misdirection were used to conceal the truth regarding the Cucchi case. The family of Stefano Cucchi expressed gratitude for the recognition of their long struggle for justice, noting the immense personal toll the legal battles took on their family members over the years.