Viareggio entrepreneur sentenced to 18 years for intentional homicide

The Lucca Court of Assizes has released the motivations for the 18-year prison sentence handed to Cinzia Dal Pino for the voluntary homicide of Noureddine Mezgui. The incident occurred on September 8, 2024, in Viareggio, after Mezgui allegedly stole Dal Pino’s handbag.

Judges described Dal Pino’s actions as “lucid, conscious, disproportionate, and abnormal,” characterizing the event as a form of “private justice.” According to the 52-page ruling, Dal Pino used her SUV to strike the 52-year-old victim four times, adjusting the vehicle's trajectory to hit him as he moved on the sidewalk.

The court rejected arguments for lesser charges, such as unintentional homicide or self-defense, noting that Dal Pino acted with an “exasperated sense of protecting her own property” and a punitive logic. Evidence showed she retrieved her bag from the ground and drove away without providing aid, an act the court cited as evidence of her intent or indifference to the fatal outcome. Both the defense and the prosecution have announced intentions to appeal the decision.