DR ‹ › An Italian court has sentenced lawyer and former police officer Massimo Adriatici to 12 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter of Moroccan national Younes El Boussettaoui, who was shot dead on July 20, 2021, in Voghera, a town in Lombardy. El Boussettaoui, 39, was killed after Adriatici, also a former councilor for Security in Voghera, fired a gun during an altercation in the town's central square. The Pavia court also ordered provisional compensation totaling €380,000 for the victim's family: €90,000 each to his parents and €50,000 each to his two brothers and two sisters. Prosecutors had requested a sentence of 11 years and four months, while the defense sought acquittal on the grounds of self-defense, arguing that Adriatici was in a state of «natural incapacity» after allegedly blacking out during the confrontation. In November 2024, a judge ordered prosecutors to amend the original charge of excessive self-defense to voluntary manslaughter after a reconstruction of the events undermined Adriatici's claim. Surveillance footage showed him following El Boussettaoui shortly before the shooting, what the judge described as an illegal «armed pursuit» of a vulnerable citizen. Investigators also found that Adriatici's weapon was loaded with a round already chambered and hollow-point ammunition, typically used at shooting ranges rather than for self-defense. «We are overjoyed», said Bahija El Boussettaoui, one of Younes's sisters, outside the courthouse. «I didn't expect a sentence higher than the prosecutor's request. But we won't be truly happy until we see Adriatici in prison in handcuffs. Compensation? That's not an issue for us right now. We're just asking for justice for my brother». Younes's lawyers, Debora Piazza and Marco Romagnoli, also welcomed the ruling. «With this ruling, the judge has demonstrated that we must all be treated equally before the law». Before the fatal shooting in 2021, El Boussettaoui was reportedly struggling with mental health issues. He had previously been admitted to hospital for psychiatric treatment. His sister, who also lives in Italy, said he had been «sleeping on the street».
