Ciro Grillo rejects plea deal and legal benefits, attacks Giulia Bongiorno

The verdict and the appeal

Ciro Grillo, son of Beppe Grillo, founder of the Five Star Movement (M5S), was convicted at first instance by the Tempio Pausania court to eight years in prison for group sexual violence. Three friends were tried alongside him, and one of them received six years and six months. The victim was a student who was 20 at the time, whom Grillo met during a holiday in Sardinia in 2019. The verdict is not final, and the case is now at the appeal stage before the Court of Appeal of Sassari. Grillo is 25 years old.

Hearings closed to the media

The Sassari appeal judges recently accepted a request from the prosecution and from the lawyer Giulia Bongiorno to exclude the media from the courtroom. The stated aim is to protect the young woman from secondary victimisation. Grillo gave his interview to the Ligurian broadcaster Telenord in the wake of that decision. Excerpts were also broadcast by Tg1.

No plea bargain and no legal benefits

Grillo said he would never accept a plea bargain or any concession. He added that he would rather go to prison as an innocent man, calling a plea deal immoral toward his dignity, his honour and justice itself.

“I would never forgive myself for any kind of plea bargain or any concession.”

He also refused legal benefits, which he said would mean giving up rights in exchange for less time behind bars. He described this as 'legalised extortion' by the state and said he does not accept it.

Grillo's attack on Giulia Bongiorno

Grillo tied his case to the 2018-2019 government, when the M5S governed with the League. After the Open Arms proceedings against Matteo Salvini, the M5S authorised proceedings against him, and that decision led to the collapse of the yellow-green government. Bongiorno was then minister of public administration. After the government ended, she took the side of the young woman who filed the complaint, and Grillo said a considerable media siege followed. He sees a causal link between the M5S decision and Bongiorno's involvement.

Telenord director Maurizio Michieli called the claim 'pesante' because it names a former minister who is now a lawyer. Grillo replied that Bongiorno also chairs the Senate Justice Committee, where a bill on the offence under prosecution is being examined.

“I compete against a person who can change the rules of the game while the game is being played. That is not fair.”

What comes next

Grillo said the silence he kept had not worked in his favour, nor had the trial rules. He said the court had not protected his reasons and that he would make his case in every setting, including the political one.

“This is a declaration of war and I have to respond, I have to defend myself.”

He maintained that the judicial truth is the only one that counts, and that he would use every means to bring the truth out.