A Pavia court has handed Massimo Adriatici a 12-year prison sentence exceeding the 11 years and four months requested by prosecutors after rejecting his self-defense claim over the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Younes El Boussettaoui in Voghera’s central square in July 2021.
The court ordered Adriatici to pay €380,000 in provisional compensation to El Boussettaoui’s family following the trial held behind closed doors. The victim’s parents were each awarded €90,000, whilst his two brothers and two sisters will receive €50,000 each, all of whom were plaintiffs in a concurrent civil suit.
Prosecutors successfully argued the evidence supported a voluntary manslaughter charge after initially framing the case as excessive self-defense during early investigation stages. A judge later ordered the charge to be upgraded from the lesser offense.
Adriatici, a lawyer by profession with a background in policing who was serving as Voghera’s security councillor, admitted discharging the firearm but maintained he acted in self-defense. The former councillor was affiliated with Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s right-wing League party when the shooting occurred.
His legal team argued El Boussettaoui, who was homeless at the time of his death, approached the councillor and slapped him. The defense claimed Adriatici briefly lost consciousness and was in a state of what they described as “natural incapacity,” with lawyers claiming the gun went off accidentally when he fell.
According to court findings, Adriatici fired a single shot during a confrontation outside a bar in Piazza Meardi on the evening of 20 July 2021 in the northern Lombardy town. The shooting in Voghera’s central square led to charges being brought against the municipality’s security councillor.
Outside the courthouse, Bahija El Boussettaoui stated the family was satisfied with the outcome. “We are delighted. 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,” she said according to L’Unione Sarda.
The family’s lawyers added in a joint statement: “With this ruling, the judge has demonstrated that we must all be treated equally before the law.” The comment appeared to reference concerns about whether a political figure would receive equal treatment in the justice system.
The conviction of a League party security councillor for voluntary manslaughter carries political implications given his affiliation with Salvini’s party, which has taken hardline positions on law and order issues. However, the trial proceedings and sentencing focused on the evidence and legal standards rather than political considerations.
The €380,000 compensation order represents a significant financial penalty beyond the prison term, though the family’s lawyer indicated monetary concerns were secondary to achieving a conviction. Whether Adriatici appeals the sentence or begins serving his prison term immediately will determine the next stage of proceedings.
The case’s progression from excessive self-defense charges to voluntary manslaughter conviction demonstrates how judicial review can escalate charges when evidence supports more serious offenses. The judge’s decision to exceed the prosecutor’s sentence recommendation by eight months suggests the court found aggravating circumstances in Adriatici’s conduct.
Whether Adriatici enters prison immediately or pending appeals will be determined by Italian criminal procedure. The family’s statement that they won’t be satisfied until seeing him “in prison in handcuffs” suggests uncertainty about enforcement timing for the sentence.
