Policeman Convicted of Raping U.S. Student

Ex-carabiniere policeman Marco Camuffo, 48, was convicted on October 11, 2018 for having raped an American student in Florence in September 2017.  The sentence was handed down by a local court and Camuffo was given a prison term of four years and eight months.

Camuffo opted for a quick trial under Italian law known as “rito abbreviato,” which automatically reduces the sentence by one third.  Public prosecutor Ornella Galeotti had asked that Camuffo remain in jail for five years and eight months.

When the students opened the front door, the policemen went inside and were subsequently accused of raping them outside their apartment.  Afterwards, the girls called their advisor at school and several hours later pressed charges; they were taken to a local hospital in an ambulance, where tests showed that they had recently had sexual relations.

This morning in court, Pietro Costa spontaneously read a statement that it was his colleague’s idea, not his, to offer the girls a ride home, which is illegal under Italian law.  He had previously gone on record to say that sex was “consensual.”

Costa’s trial — which does not fall under “rito abbreviato”– will begin on May 10, 2019.  The students have testified they were afraid to oppose the policemen’s actions because they were armed.  In the meantime, the pair have been suspended from service and will also face a military trial.

To read more in Italian, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.  (rosanna cirigliano)