Italy's Roggero case reignites debate on expansive self‑defence law

A legislative proposal by Lega senator Claudio Borghi seeks to create a blanket exemption from punishment for any reaction to an armed intrusion in a home or commercial premises. The draft ignores the traditional requirements of proportionality, the persistence of danger, and a strictly defensive character, effectively allowing "any reaction" to be deemed lawful.

The initiative was prompted by the high‑profile murder trial of jeweller Mario Roggero, who was convicted for killing two robbers in his shop. Legal scholars and criminal‑law professor Roberto Paradisi argue that the proposal contradicts established doctrine, stressing that legitimate defence requires an immediate, ongoing threat. Paradisi highlighted the polarized public response, with some praising Roggero as a defender and others condemning him as a murderer, and called for nuanced legislative safeguards rather than a populist overhaul of the defence exception.