Prosecutor demands 27-year sentence for Belgian carnival driver who killed seven
The public prosecutor asked the jury for 27 years of criminal detention for Paolo Falzone, convicted of seven murders and 79 attempted murders at the Strépy‑Bracquegnies carnival in March 2022.
Sentencing request
On the final day of arguments, first advocate general Gilles Dupuis asked the Hainaut assize court to hand Paolo Falzone a 27‑year sentence, with a minimum of 24 years. The prosecutor argued that no mitigating circumstances should be applied and recalled that the maximum penalty for murder is 30 years.
The sum of the crimes of which Paolo Falzone has been found guilty is completely out of the ordinary.
For the passenger, Antonino Falzone, who shares the name but is not related to the driver, the prosecution requested a two‑year prison term. He was convicted of failing to assist 59 persons in danger, including minors on Rue des Canadiens and Rue Aubry.
Verdict last Friday
On 12 June, the jury found Paolo Falzone guilty of seven murders and 79 attempted murders. The panel answered yes to 80 out of 81 attempted‑murder charges but did not retain the aggravating factor of premeditation for the death of Frédéric D’Andrea, which avoided a life sentence. Antonino Falzone was convicted of non‑assistance to 59 people; one person among the original 60 charges arrived after the impact and was thus excluded.
The March 2022 incident
Around 5 a.m. on 20 March 2022, Paolo Falzone drove his BMW at more than 170 km/h into a traditional carnival procession on Rue des Canadiens in Strépy‑Bracquegnies. The vehicle was doing 105 km/h at the moment of collision on a road limited to 50 km/h. Seven people died: Vito Cascarano, Frédéric Cicero, Frédéric D’Andrea, Laure Gara, Michelina Imperiale, Salvatore Imperiale and Christine Chavrepierre, who died two years later from her injuries.
He knowingly launched his little bomb in the built‑up area and chose not to brake, counting on other road users to move out of the way.
What comes next
The defence and the accused will now address the court, after which the jury will retire to deliberate on the sentence. The trial has already lasted more than six weeks.
- Paolo Falzone drives into a carnival procession in Strépy‑Bracquegnies, killing seven and injuring dozens.
- Jury convicts him of seven murders and 79 attempted murders; Antonino Falzone convicted of non‑assistance.
- Prosecutor requests 27‑year sentence for Paolo Falzone and two years for the passenger.
