Italy. Court dismisses 3 more lawsuits from priest convicted of sexual violence

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For Ossigeno, this incongruous legal case clearly demonstrates everything is wrong with Italian defamation law

OSSIGENO, June 24^th  2025 – The Enna court dismissed three more lawsuits  filed by the priest Giuseppe Rugolo (sentenced by the Enna court to 4 years and 6 months in prison for sexual violence against minors) against journalist Pierelisa Rizzo, whom the priest accused of committing two offences (libel and the dissemination of procedural documents) by publishing her articles on the progress of the trial.

THE TRIAL – The judges in Enna, like those in Savona (who had already dismissed a similar lawsuit  against Francesco Zanardi president of the victim support network Rete Abuso ), ruled that Pierelisa Rizzo reported the news about the trial disputed by the priest in compliance with the law, given that “there is no prohibition on publishing, even partially, the proceedings of the closed-door trial.” The journalist’s defence was financially supported by Ossigeno per l’Informazione, the observatory established to document and analyse the escalation of intimidation and threats against Italian journalists. Pierelisa Rizzo also received expressions of support from the Sicilian Journalists’ Association and the journalists’ union Assostampa.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office had proposed dismissing these lawsuits, deeming the accusations unfounded. However, the plaintiff, through his lawyers, opposed this, requesting an investigation into the reporter, and the seizure of her mobile  phone and computer devices to uncover her sources. Hence  the hearing took place in which the Enna court rejected these requests and, with the dismissal, marked the definitive end.

OSSIGENO – President Alberto Spampinato’s comment: “Pierelisa Rizzo was recklessly dragged into a contradictory legal case that forced her, without any fault and without substantiated charges, to defend herself in court with the help of her lawyers (Eleanna Parasiliti Molica of the Enna Bar and Giovanni Di Giovanni of the Caltanissetta Bar), incurring defence costs that should never have to be borne by an innocent person. From this perspective, her legal case is emblematic and has also an educational value. It shows that to properly fulfil their duty to inform citizens, journalists must have the courage to report even the unpleasant activities of strong and powerful people and institutions. They must do so even at the risk of finding themselves isolated, and therefore protection and support networks are essential. The case of Giuseppe Rugolo’s lawsuits provides us with a concrete example of the necessity for this support network and reminds us why Italy needs to amend the law on libel, repealing it as a criminal offence and to modify the procedures for handling lawsuits  so as to be able to automatically dismiss those that are clearly instrumental, reckless, and unfounded like these ones.”

The case of Giuseppe Rugolo has attracted widespread attention because he has repeatedly sued Pierelisa Rizzo, along with six other journalists, the president of the only Italian association dedicated to survivors of clerical abuse, Rete Abuso, Francesco Zanardi, and one of the priest’s victims, Antonio Messina, whose formal complaint sparked the investigation that led to Rugolo’s conviction. All were accused of violating the plaintiff’s alleged right to be tried without the public being informed because his trial was held behind closed doors. A right that does not exist, because citizens, in turn, have a right to know how justice is administered.

Pierelisa Rizzo now looks to the future and comments with these words: “I am grateful to the justice system and the magistrates who recognized the recklessness of these lawsuits, filed solely to obstruct the flow of information. Giuseppe Rugolo’s trial was held behind closed doors, but its proceedings needed to be reported, because it revealed a disturbing scenario in the Diocese of Piazza Armerina, led to the priest’s conviction, and the indictments of Bishop Rosario Gisana and Judicial Vicar Vincenzo Murgano for perjury.”

ASP