Life Sentence for Moussa Sangare for the Murder of Sharon Verzeni in Terno d'Isola

The trial for the murder of Sharon Verzeni has concluded before the court in Bergamo, delivering a harsh sentence for the perpetrator who shocked public opinion in Italy. Moussa Sangare, an Italian citizen of Malian origin, received a life imprisonment sentence, the highest possible penalty under the Italian penal code. The court fully agreed with the position of prosecutor Emanuele Marchisio, who argued in his closing statement that Sangare murdered the 35-year-old woman solely to 'satisfy his own ego' and to see what it felt like to kill a person. Investigators emphasized from the start that the victim was random, and the perpetrator was looking for anyone on whom he could vent his murderous impulses. Sangare stabbed Sharon four times while she was walking at night to maintain her physical fitness. Immediately after the attack, the perpetrator fled on a bicycle, which was recorded by city surveillance cameras. A key element of the trial was the issue of the defendant's sanity. Sangare's defense attempted to demonstrate that the man suffers from mental disorders, which was intended to mitigate the sentence. However, the court rejected this line of reasoning, relying on expert opinions and the perpetrator's behavior after the act, as he tried to hide the murder weapon and cover his tracks. Before the verdict was announced, Sangare briefly left the courtroom, claiming he considered himself innocent, which the victim's family saw as a sign of a complete lack of remorse and cynicism. The prosecution described the perpetrator's motivation as terrifying in its simplicity – a murder driven by the mere desire to kill, devoid of any personal conflict between the parties. The sentence also includes the obligation to pay compensation to the family members of the murdered bartender. The Italian legal system provides for life imprisonment for premeditated murders of particular cruelty, deriving these severe sanctions from the tradition of the Rocco Code from the 1930s, although the conditions for applying for parole have been eased over time. The reaction of Sharon Verzeni's family after the verdict was announced was filled with pain and relief. Her partner, Sergio Ruocco, who was wrongly suspected by public opinion for some time, did not hide his emotion. The victim's parents, present in the courtroom, received the verdict with tears in their eyes, emphasizing that no punishment would bring their daughter back to life, but justice had been served. The family's lawyer stated in strong terms that Sangare simply 'chose to be a murderer,' rejecting any attempts to justify the act by external or social factors. This case sparked a broad debate in Italy about public safety in small towns and integration, although the prosecution consistently avoided giving the crime a political character, focusing on the psychological profile of the perpetrator as an aggressive and antisocial individual. The verdict is not yet final, and the defense is likely to appeal, hoping for a reconsideration of the convict's mental state.