Racist chants at the stadium, fans convicted

 The trial against the six fans of Pro Patria accused of racial abuse after the match, which was suspended because of racist chants, between the Busto football team and AC Milan, on 3 January, has ended with sentences of 40 days’ and 2 months’ imprisonment. The panel of judges, chaired by Adet Toni Novik, with Luisa Bovitutti and Piera Bossi, confirmed the racist offence, as described by the Mancino law on discrimination, although they reduced the requests of the Public Prosecutor, Mirko Monti, by two thirds. This is the first conviction of this kind in Italy.

The efforts of the counsels of the six defendants (the lawyers Talamone, Ceriotti, Abbiati and Moscatelli), who had requested that their clients be acquitted, claiming that there was no direct evidence that they had taken part in the chanting against the black players of AC Milan, achieved nothing. And so, the trial ended with convictions that will be an example to all Italian fans that take part in expressions of racial hatred similar to what was considered in Busto Arsizio – this was the opinion of Public Prosecutor Monti, who was visibly satisfied with the sentence. The 40-day sentence was given to only one of the six fans, after the application of general extenuating circumstances, given the conduct, during the trial, of the defendant, who took part in the hearings and who explained to the judges the reasons why he had participated in the chants, which he, incidentally, admitted. All of the others will have to serve a two month sentence. Thus, the case that caused great media interest in the town of Busto Arsizio, which took the civil action, through the town administration, together with the Lega Pro, ended; the reasons for the sentence will be deposited within 90 days. For the two plaintiffs, it was decided that each should be awarded €5000 in compensation.