prosecutors-from-italy

"The key milestone in this historical, political and legal journey is that we have come to understand that violating women's physical, mental, moral and economic integrity is a violation of human rights."

"[...] Never before has so much money been spent on armaments. Of course, war makes things worse, as it encourages everyone to allocate even more resources to that area. Why is this happening? It is happening because there is more fear – fear which, instead, should be driving renewed efforts to persuade the warring parties to move towards a negotiated end to the conflict [...] The ongoing war in Ukraine and its economic, food and energy consequences have highlighted our shared vulnerabilities. We have all discovered that we are weaker when war is raging around us, not least because, in the face of the fear and the costs brought about by the conflict, not everyone can resist the temptation to act alone to protect themselves better, even at the expense of others."

"From the very beginning, from the very first moment it took office, the government led by Prime Minister Meloni has made our country's international position clear, choosing to show solidarity with Ukraine and acting in perfect continuity, without ambiguity and without hesitation, with the previous government."

"[...] Teachers are the first point of contact for a child experiencing violence; therefore, teachers need to be prepared and trained to recognise such signals – they need to be able to decipher a pattern, an issue, or a psychological attitude that is not right. The question is: are they capable of doing that today? From my personal experience, unfortunately, I have to say no, not least because the cumbersome procedures and the complexity of getting a report to its intended recipient are such that the system is effectively at a standstill."

"[...] In my view, specifically with regard to violence against women, there is a public order problem that no one is noticing, namely the introduction of unacceptable family models into a democratic system like ours."

"When it comes to gender-based violence, we should also reflect on the problem that weighs on our country, namely that we have rightly accepted the presence on our territory of citizens who are fully entitled to be here – because they hold residence permits and because they work and are part of the workforce we need. At the same time, however, we do not need to import into our country cultural models that are unacceptable and contrary to our public order."

"We have come to understand that the scope of gender-based violence extends to reproductive violence, an issue we should consider in light of all the struggles our country has gone through on reproductive rights. We have also drawn up a convention on violence in the workplace, which covers not only the workplace itself but also attacks on sexual integrity."

"(About clemency for the pentiti) To what extent are politicians – and above all the public – prepared to accept that murderers go unpunished?"

"There must be someone who is close to him, who knows and who cannot overcome it; it is difficult to overcome one’s affections, difficult to make new ones, because we are always ourselves, but I would really like, in this case, for those close to him—and for the reasons given by Giorgio Abraham and for this reason to make new friends and to avoid other things, that this close person really does work on their loved one."

"The identikit was produced in 1983, specifically in relation to the only double murder that took place in Calenzano that autumn."

"According to experts, based on a reconstruction of all the circumstances surrounding the murders, it is believed that the perpetrator was a man, primarily due to his physical strength and, secondly, likely also because of his estimated height, which was deduced from the position from which the shots were fired in the murder of the two young Germans in 1983."

"We must continue the fight against terrorism without ever abandoning the principles of the Constitution."

"Wiretapping is absolutely essential in the fight against the mafia and terrorism; it is fundamental to understanding the movements of people suspected of serious crimes. Wiretapping mafia members helps us understand who they talk to and how they move. :*Paola Di Caro, Sì alle intercettazioni, non agli abusi, Corriere della Sera, January 18, 2023."

"(Regarding the separation of careers between penal prosecutors and judges and its relatiosnhip with the "Plan for Democratic Rebirth) I am not familiar with the P2 plan. I can say that if Mr. Licio Gelli's interpretation, or rather opinion, was a correct opinion, there is no reason why it should not be followed just because he said so. Truths do not depend on who proclaims them, but on the objectivity they represent."

"(About wiretaps) Their dissemination, sometimes selective and perhaps manipulated, is a deadly tool for personal and often political delegitimization. These are substantial, almost blasphemous violations of Article 15 of the Constitution, which establishes the secrecy of communications as an interface of freedom."

"Aiding and abetting does not exist as a crime; it is a creation of jurisprudence. That is, the Supreme Court, the judges, invented this rather evanescent formula, which, strictly speaking, I would call “Popperian,” is an oxymoron. Because the concept of external complicity is contradictory, hence the oxymoron, because if you are a competitor, you are not external, and if you are external, you are not a competitor. Of course, when you discuss all these things from a technical point of view, you find ideological and emotional answers. We do not want to eliminate it; we know very well that you can be a mafioso within the organization and you can be an accomplice outside the organization, but then the crime needs to be completely redefined, which at the moment does not exist either as a specific or a specific offense because it is not in the code. (July 11, 2023)"

"This book should be studied at the High School of the Judiciary (referring to the book entitled ‘'Il mostro’' by Matteo Renzi)."

"I believe that no magistrate should ever run for election, and even more so, a public prosecutor who has become famous for political investigations should not do so."

"Legitimate choices are not necessarily appropriate ones. A magistrate must not only be impartial, but must also appear to be impartial."

"The mindset of a magistrate is not that of a public administrator. [...] The idea that politics is unable to come up with a name from within its own ranks and must resort to a magistrate is a sign of a deep crisis."

"I agree with the crisis in justice. Ninety percent of our work is useless because we have Byzantine procedures for prosecuting mountains of crimes. We are grinding water and this is frustrating."

"Once there were deviant services, a deviant judiciary, and even deviant journalists, but now the situation is being reversed. The few magistrates who conduct investigations, the few journalists who write, and the investigators who do their duty are the ones who are deviant."

"If half of the funds that arrived had been used, Calabria could have been a small Switzerland."

"Naples is a special city, and has been so throughout history. When the entire continent was experiencing periods of stagnation, Naples marked important accelerations in the world of culture. Its university, one of the oldest in Europe, was a point of reference when the rest of Europe was torn apart by internal wars. It is a city that never allowed the Holy Inquisition to act freely and unchallenged. It is a city that, under foreign and military occupation, liberated itself by autonomously surrendering to those who brought about the retreat of the Nazis in World War II."

"The Master q:it:Aldo Masullo, to whom we recently conferred honorary citizenship of Naples, has left this earthly life. One of the greatest philosophers of the late 20th century, with the highest ethical standards and profound intellectual rigor, we remember his lucid political analyses right up until the last few days. A beacon for many, a solid point of reference for Neapolitan culture."

"I hope that Ireland votes in favor so that the Lisbon Treaty can come into force and be a step forward for democracy in Europe, because the European Parliament will have more powers and greater importance, and it will not be the governments that are in charge but the people through their representatives in Parliament. In Ireland, Italian-Irish people also play a fundamental role."

"There is a new form of organized crime in Calabria, which is not only 'ndrangheta, which tends to manage public funds, those that have arrived, those that are arriving, and those that will arrive. This is the fundamental crux of the matter, because it is there that collusion between institutions, politics, business, and the banking system takes root, grows stronger, and increases."

"(About the 'Ndrangheta) Only crumbs remain in Calabria: it is not profitable to invest there and it would make suspicious wealth visible. It buys from Rome upwards. And it is present in many European countries, from Germany to Switzerland, and abroad, in Canada and Australia."

"The 'Ndrangheta sells cocaine wholesale to Cosa Nostra and the Camorra, as well as distributing it itself in central and northern Italy."

"Drug trafficking has become big business for the 'ndrangheta, which has sent its men to South America to buy cocaine at the lowest price."

"Bruno Vespa: What is the 'Ndrangheta today? Gratteri: It is the only mafia present on every continent and the only one that can go to the Amazon rainforest and buy a kilo of cocaine with a purity of 98-99% for a thousand euros, while other mafias buy it for two thousand or two thousand five hundred euros. It is a question of credibility that the 'Ndrangheta brand has over other mafias. If two thousand kilos of cocaine are seized from the 'Ndrangheta at the port of Gioia Tauro and the 'Ndrangheta goes with the seizure report, the Colombian cartels give them another two thousand kilos without paying for them."

"(About the public office abuse, Article 323 of the Italian Penal Code) Abolishing abuse of office is a favor to those with connections; those in power do not want to be controlled."

"With the money from seizures, the 'Ndrangheta entered the construction and public procurement business."

"What happens in countries where there is a separation between the careers of magistrates? What happens is that the public prosecutor is subordinate to the executive. Every year, the Minister of Justice sets out the priorities. [...] In 2028, our priority may be online fraud, which is important and must be prosecuted, but corruption and extortion must also be prosecuted. Mafia crimes, money laundering, and financial crimes must also be prosecuted, as they are important because they are the cutting edge of the mafia. It is obvious, then, that we are against it. [...] and we will vote no to the separation of careers when, probably in late spring 2026, we go to the polls for the referendum, because we are convinced that it will only cause harm. It will only be an additional obstacle to having a fair and swift trial and, above all, to protecting the injured parties."

"La Santa is the watershed between the old and new 'Ndrangheta. Founded in 1969-1970, it allows for the dual affiliation of a member of the 'Ndrangheta, that is, to be part of the 'Ndrangheta and participate in a deviant Masonic lodge. This means that by joining a Masonic lodge, a member of the 'Ndrangheta is able to have direct contact with senior figures in the public administration. I remember that years ago, a collaborator of justice told me that three hooded figures were whispering in the Grand Master's ear, and among them were magistrates. So you can understand the huge leap in quality for the 'Ndrangheta, i.e., what it meant to be a member of La Santa."

"I haven't heard Salvini talk about mafias, only about immigration. The problem cannot be solved by creating a blockade on the Libyan coast. We need to go to Central Africa, sending in the secret services (AISE), 95% of whom are based within Rome's ring road, to find out who is organizing the desert crossings. Then we need to go there and build infrastructure and activities to make Central Africa livable, and then deal with illegal immigrants in Italy. But without bilateral agreements, how can they be repatriated?"

"I find it easier to collaborate with Colombia and Peru than with Malta. If Malta decides not to collaborate with Italy, or responds six months or a year late, the investigation will be useless."

"Today, it is the politicians who seek out the members of the 'Ndrangheta and not vice versa. To obtain votes in exchange for contracts."