Italy. Settlement closes lawsuit for error without defamatory intent

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Ossigeno Desk provided free legal aid to journalist and chief editor of PalermoLive – The case arose from a story about a tragic road accident that involved dozens of newspapers

OSSIGENO September 29^th 2025 – by Andrea Di Pietro* – Ossigeno’s Legal Aid Desk, which operates in collaboration with Media Defence (see here), provided legal assistance to journalist Federica Raccuglia, chief editor of the online newspaper PalermoLive, who was sued along with her publisher, like numerous other Italian newspapers, having published in June 2023, information that later turned out to be inaccurate regarding the identities of the people aboard the Lamborghini involved in a tragic road accident in the Casal Palocco neighbourhood of Rome.

The civil proceedings against Federica Raccuglia were recently concluded with a settlement agreement that put an end to the dispute without further consequences. The plaintiff demonstrated great integrity and fair play, agreeing to settle the case honourably.

IN GOOD FAITH – Ossigeno per l’Informazione decided to support the journalist, providing her with free legal aid, as it believed her complete good faith was evident. The disputed article was published on June 16^th 2023, two days after the car accident, after the news item, later revealed to be incorrect, had been published with the same wording by major national newspapers. As soon as the error was clarified, PalermoLive immediately removed its article.

The case demonstrates how, in the hours immediately following news events with a huge media impact, errors can sometimes arise from relying on sources deemed reliable, such as those known for their probity.

IF THERE IS NO FRAUD – Cases like this highlight the risks journalists run when they make mistakes in good faith. Even an unintentional mistake, committed without the aim of damaging someone’s reputation, can result in a costly legal action, with claims for millions of euro in damages and the prospect of years of litigation. For this reason, Ossigeno continues to reiterate the importance of distinguishing cases of true defamation—in which there is intent or gross negligence—from errors resulting from the rapid spread of news in emergency situations.

In this case, the decision to settle the dispute with a balanced agreement and the assistance offered to Federica Raccuglia is an example of how it is possible to protect the reputations of those unjustly implicated and, at the same time, recognise the integrity and good faith of journalists who, without any defamatory intent, repeated an error originating elsewhere. ADP

* Lawyer Andrea di Pietro is the coordinator of Ossigeno’s Legal Aid Help desk.

READ here about the other cases handled by the Help desk.