Jamal Tonelli was 15 years old when, on March 22, 2021, he left his home on his bicycle and attacked a 26-year-old jogger from behind, stabbing her 23 times after forcing her into a ditch on the side of the road. The victim, Marta Novello, regained breathing on her own just two days later and remained hospitalized at Ca' Foncello Hospital in Treviso for almost two weeks. However, her attacker has since returned to live in Mogliano Veneto, in the Treviso area, a short distance from her.

Tonelli, who was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for that crime, later reduced to five, was deported from the United Kingdom, where he was living. Arrested and fined on January 2, 2025, for driving without a license, he was forced to leave the island after a new fine, apparently related to drug possession offenses. He had moved to England after serving time in juvenile detention. The court had ordered his placement in a protected community for minors, but a failure to notify him allowed him to be released and fly overseas with his mother. He is scheduled for a new hearing in his case on November 13. The Novello family, through their lawyer Alberto Barbaro, has announced that they will be particularly vigilant after the attacker's return.

Tonelli's lawyer, Matteo Scussat, who has appealed the sentence three times to the Supreme Court, points out that "my client is a free citizen, and until a final conviction is reached, the presumption of innocence applies. The third appeal trial is still pending, at which point he could be convicted or acquitted entirely." The case has sparked a variety of political reactions, starting with President Alberto Stefani, who expressed solidarity with the victim: "Everyone's goal now must be to ensure the safety and peace of mind of a young woman who has already paid an unacceptable price."

Speaking for Futuro Nazionale, Veneto MP Gianangelo Bof first emphasized that Tonelli's father is a foreigner, then concluded: "In Italy, it's the same old story. Criminals come out, they calmly go abroad, and other countries, which don't want criminals in their own countries, send them back." Regional councilors from the Democratic Party (PD) were critical, stating in a statement signed, among others, by group leader Giovanni Manildo, that "asking what protections have been considered for Marta is a legitimate and necessary question. Anyone who has suffered an attack must be able to feel that the institutions are there to guarantee a return to a life without fear and in complete freedom. This is an inalienable right."

(Unioneonline)

© Riproduzione riservata