The 18-year sentence of Alba Veronica Puddu, a 53-year-old former doctor from Tertenia, was overturned on appeal. She was charged with aggravated homicide, defrauding a person of unfitness, and fraud for promising to cure tumors with ultrasound.

The Court of Cassation upheld the appeal of the defendant's lawyer, Gianluca Aste, overturning the ruling of the Cagliari Court of Appeal that had reduced the doctor's sentence, which had been sentenced to life imprisonment in the first instance.

A new trial will now be held before a new composition of the Court of Assizes of Appeal, in which the judges will once again address the issue of intent: the prosecution argues for eventual intent, meaning the defendant knew that ultrasound would not cure the tumors and would be shortening the patients' life expectancy; the defense, however, argues for conscious negligence, meaning there was no malicious intent on the part of Dr. Puddu.

Francesco Pinna

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