Novi Ligure Homicide
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The Novi Ligure Homicide was a brutal multiple murder that took place on the evening of 21 February 2001 in Novi Ligure, Italy. Susy Cassini and her son, 11-year-old Gianluca Di Nardo, were both stabbed multiple times in their home. The murders drew widespread media attention in Italy when 16-year-old Erika de Nardo, daughter and sister of the victims, blamed the murder on Albanian immigrants. Later, Erika and her boyfriend Omar Favaro were convicted of the murder. The murder is regarded as a case study in how prejudice and media overexposure can affect a criminal investigation.
[edit] Initial response
In response to Erica's original claim that immigrants had murdered her brother and mother, newspapers demanded a crackdown on illegal immigrants, and the Northern League held anti-immigrant demonstrations.
After early media reports, members of the public created a website called "erikatiamo" (meaning "Erika, I love you") in support of Erika. However, after intervention by the Italian magistracy, the website was later forced to shut down.
[edit] Aftermath
A juvenile court in Turin sentenced Erika to 16 years in jail and Omar to 14 years in jail. They remain in jail as of February 2007.
Italian politicians reflected uncomfortably on the anti-immigrant frenzy the case had generated, with Minister of Justice Piero Fassino declaring, "I believe that someone should beg the pardon of immigrants. The level of incivility we've seen in this country in the last 48 hours should make us all reflect."
