A photographic identification "without a shadow of a doubt," with the victim being nine out of ten certain that he was her robber. Unfortunately, Emanuele Melis, 28, from Quartu, was incarcerated in a cell in the Aversa prison that day three years ago. Therefore, defense attorney Roberto Zanda maintains, it's impossible that he could have committed the robbery he's accused of.

The accusation

The incident that gave rise to the preliminary hearing, held yesterday morning before Judge Claudia Secci, dates back to August 18, 2023. A minor, waiting for a bus in front of the ARST bus station in Piazza Matteotti, was approached by a young man who asked him to exchange four five-euro bills for a twenty-euro note. After taking the bill, the man refused to give him anything back. When asked for an explanation, according to the boy's complaint, the man grabbed him by the left arm, dragging him for a few meters, and threatened him: "I come from a very dangerous place, I'm not from Cagliari, I can hurt you badly." At the entrance to the station, another member of the group kicked him in the back.

The recognition

Three days later, the victim, along with her father, filed a formal complaint with the Stampace Carabinieri and described her attacker: 22-25 years old, with tattoos on his body and face, and an AC Milan jersey. The officers then prepared an album with six mugshots, and the minor promptly pointed to the first photo: that of Melis, who was already known to law enforcement. In June 2024, the report reached the Prosecutor's Office, and the prosecutor, confident of the identification, requested a committal for trial, also alleging a repeat offence.

The surprise

The problem is that, according to the prison administration's movement list, Emanuele Melis entered Aversa prison on January 3, 2023, and was released on October 24, 2025, to be placed under house arrest. He was therefore still incarcerated on August 18. He made this statement himself, in a spontaneous statement, during the interrogation held in prison on January 9, 2025, but—according to defense attorney Zanda—no one verified the findings. The preliminary hearing before preliminary hearing judge Claudia Sechi took place yesterday. The defense insisted on an acquittal, producing the prisoner's movement list, but the judge adjourned the hearing to obtain confirmation from Aversa prison that Melis was in prison on the day of the robbery. The next hearing is on January 12: once formal notification from Aversa prison arrives, the defendant will be acquitted.

Francesco Pinna

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