Massimo Carlotto

Massimo Carlotto (born July 22, 1957) is an Italian writer and playwright.

Biography

The "Carlotto case"

Carlotto was at the center of one of the most controversial legal cases of Italian contemporary history.

In 1976, a student of twenty-five years, Margherita Magello, was found dead at his home, killed by 59 stab wounds.

Massimo Carlotto, a student of nineteen years and activist of Lotta Continua, accidentally discovers the victim, bleeding and dying, and instead of notifying the police, frightened, he flees. He is then arrested and charged with homicide. He claimed ever his innocence.

In the first trial, he was acquitted for lack of evidence by the Criminal Court of Padua but was sentenced to 18 years in imprisonment by the Court Call the Venice, and the sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in 1982. He then fled, first in France and to Mexico, but after three years on the run he was captured by Mexican police and sent back to Italy. A large people movement substained Carlotto in this case; for example signed a petitions for him Ettore Gallo, Jorge Amado, Nilde Iotti, Norberto Bobbio, Giandomenico Pisapia and Ferdinando Imposimato.