Reform of Italian Self Defense Law Effective – No Charges for Fredy Pacini

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Reform of Italian Self Defense Law Effective – No Charges for Fredy Pacini

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)- On 15 March 2021, Fredy Pacini, a 61-Year-Old tire and bicycle shop owner from Monte San Savino, Tuscany, Italy, was officially notified he would not be prosecuted for shooting and killing one of the intruders who had broken into his shop, at night, with a pick-ax. From newsrnd.com:

For the judge “it is reasonable that Pacini could have foreseen that, shortly thereafter, he could have found himself in serious danger of his life and that we feared for his safety. In addition, the fact occurred in the middle of the night, in an isolated area and that the police, even if they had been immediately alerted by the alarm system, would not have been able to intervene on the spot for 15-20 minutes “.

It was the first widely reported case to test the new Italian law on armed self-defense on your own property. Unione Sarda reported Pacini used a pistol he had retrieved from a safe to defend himself from the intruders. He was awakened to the sound of breaking glass a bit after three a.m. He fired five times.

Three of the shots hit the door frame. One-shot hit one of the intruders in the knee, the fifth shot hit the same intruder in the thigh, severing the femoral artery. The shot was fatal.

The prosecutor had asked the case to be dismissed, under the old law, in March of 2019. The prosecutor believed Pacini had met the criteria for legitimate self-defense. The judge in the case had rejected the request in September of 2020 and ordered more investigation.

The new Italian self-defense law was passed in March of 2019.

Pacini had his business broken into on 28 November 2018. His business had been broken into 38 times previously. Prime Minister Salvini had commented on the case at the time. The quote is found in many articles:

“Being a robber is a dangerous job. Am I wrong??? Self-defense is always legitimate!” Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, head of the far-right League, said on Facebook.

“My solidarity lies with the Tuscan shopkeeper who was robbed 38 times,” he said.

Prime Minister Salvini had fought for a reformed self-defense law for years. One had come close to passage in 2017.

The previous law had its origin in Fascist Italy of Benito Mussolini. From davekopel.org:

Modern Italian gun control laws date from the Fascist period; the Public Safety Act was passed in 1931 as one of a series of measures designed to put an end to leftist violence. Addressing the Italian Senate Benito Mussolini explained:

“The measures adopted to restore public order are: First of all, the elimination of the so-called subversive elements. … They were elements of disorder and subversion. On the morrow of each conflict I gave the categorical order to confiscate the largest possible number of weapons of every sort and kind. This confiscation, which continues with the utmost energy, has given satisfactory results.”

The laws were, as are most gun control laws, made for political repression rather than for preventing crime. After WWII, the laws were not restored to earlier usage. Rather, they were made stricter and more repressive.

Italians had become increasingly frustrated with the law that victimized the victims and coddled the criminals.

The momentum to reform Italian law had been building since the turn of the millennium.

Self-defense is tied to all the things the left hates: individual responsibility, independence, limited government, self-reliance. It is a hopeful sign that Italians are embracing it.


About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

Dean Weingarten

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Ryben Flynn

“The laws were, as are most gun control laws, made for political repression rather than for preventing crime.
Self-defense is tied to all the things the left hates: individual responsibility, independence, limited government, self-reliance.”

Remind you anybody here in the U.S.?

Laddyboy

ABSOLUTELY!

Grigori

GOOD!

Pa John

Some quotes are worth immortalizing. 🙂

“Self-defense is tied to all the things the left hates: individual responsibility, independence, limited government, self-reliance.” – Dean Weingarten

Wass

And I would add to this immortal quote: ” The Left hates self-defense when it’s exercised by us ordinary slobs ( whom they label bourgeois), against perps, whom they embrace, because individualists are (for them) a class enemy”.

Last edited 2 years ago by Wass
Laddyboy

It is interesting that when FREEDOM, SELF-SUPPORTING People are referred to, they are called “FAR-RIGHT”.
However,
the RADICALIZED, FASCIST LEFT LEANING people are just called the “left”.

jmb1911

Mr.Weingarten, Thank you for another very well written and informative article on self defense using a firearm in Italy. It is good to see that the judge sided with the shop owner in this case. As we pro gun and pro 2A supporters know that gun control does absolutely nothing to deter, control, or reduce the availability of firearms to criminals who obtain them illegally and not through legal means. This article points out former Italian leader Benito Mussolini and what he had said about confiscation weapons from the subversives. That is true today in this country with the Democratic… Read more »

swmft

1 for the good guys