ROM (ITALY)
Crux
February 6, 2019
By Claire Giangravè
Charged with sexually abusing at least six underage girls, the head of a lay Catholic association in southern Italy considered by his devotees to be the incarnation of an archangel, who’s scheduled to go to court Feb. 18 for a preliminary hearing, has asked for an expedited trial.
“Often this is a decision that we can describe as a media strategy,” said Tommaso Tamburino, who represents four of the six alleged victims, in a phone interview with Crux on Feb. 5.
“It’s a decision often made by someone who wants to give the impression to the public opinion to have independently chosen to go to trial,” he said. “It’s a way of saying that [Capuana] himself wants justice and wishes to go to trial quicker.”
Under Italian law, the decision to ask for an expedited trial can only come from the accused party and not from a judge. According to Tamburino, it’s often a way of trying to persuade the public that since an indictment is inevitable, Capuana can act as if the decision to go to trial is his own instead of the judge’s.
Defense sources contacted by Crux said they didn’t want to discuss the case ahead of the trial.
Piero Alfio Capuana, 74, is among the founders of the Catholic Culture and Environment Association (ACCA) near Catania, Sicily, which counts almost 5,000 followers, many of whom consider him to be the reincarnation of the Archangel Michael.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.