In dense network of the Naples metro, a city with a soul as lively as it is intricate, a chapter of crime news involving two men has finally come to an end, Francesco Ziccardi ed Enzo De Ponte. Specialize in thefts and robberies, these individuals found their hunting ground in the underground labyrinth of Neapolitan public transport, until the law regained the upper hand.
The sentence, more lenient than the prosecutor's requests, sparked a debate which transcends the legal space.
How the two pickpockets stole
Among crowded subway carriages, headed to destinations such as the well-known National Archaeological Museum, Ziccardi and De Ponte saw an opportunity to illicitly enrich themselves.
Offering to help in purchasing tickets from automatic machines, especially a elderly people and tourists, one of the two played the role of guide, while the other, with dexterity and cunning, stole wallets or other valuable objects.
The arrest and investigation by the police
Thanks to the joint action of Carabinieri from the Napoli Stella station and Naples Polfer agents, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor's Office, the duo was finally stopped. The investigations involved a meticulous analysis of the video surveillance recordings, constituting a patchwork of incontrovertible evidence that led to the arrest.
The sentencing sentence
Judged with an abbreviated procedure by the GIP of the Court of Naples, Dr. Leda Rossetti, Ziccardi and De Ponte received respectively 5 years and 2 months e 4 years and 3 months of imprisonment.
Well below the 6 years requested by the Prosecutor's Office, the sentences represent anyway an important signal, despite the Prosecutor's decision to challenge the precautionary custody order, opening new legal avenues yet to be explored.
