Modena Court experts rule Salim El Koudri was legally responsible for car attack

Psychiatric experts at the Modena Court have concluded that Salim El Koudri possessed the capacity to understand and control his actions during the May 16 incident in which he drove a vehicle into a crowd. During a three-hour evidentiary hearing, experts Matilde Forghieri and Giuseppe Sartori stated that while El Koudri exhibits a ‘narcissistic fragility’ and feelings of hatred and anger, these conditions did not compromise his ability to comprehend reality or the meaning of his actions.

The incident, which occurred on Via Emilia in central Modena, resulted in eight injuries and the subsequent death of 55-year-old Monica Esposito. The experts noted that although El Koudri has a history of mental health issues, his symptoms at the time of the event were not severe enough to impair his legal responsibility.

Defense attorneys have contested these findings, arguing the incident was a ‘raptus’. El Koudri, who appeared calm in court due to ongoing pharmacological therapy, also encountered the victims and their families for the first time during the proceedings.