Roma youth gets sentence reduced for killing policeman
(ANSA) – Milan, December 9 – The juvenile section of the Milan Appeals Court has sentenced Remi Nikolic to nine years and eight months of detention for killing a policeman in January 2012. Nikolic was driving an off-road vehicle when he slammed into the 42-year-old Niccolo’ Savarino on patrol duty, killing him and dragging his body for some 200 metres.
The young man from the Roma community had not yet reached the age of 18 at the time of the crime.
In March he was sentenced to 15 years in jail.
The prosecution had initially requested a 26-year sentence.
The appeals court decided to take into consideration all possible attenuating circumstances and the age of the perpetrator at the time of the act, thus opting to reduce the initial sentence.
Nikolic’s lack of education and “family circumstances” were also upheld as reasons for a less harsh sentence. The 19-year-old will remain in juvenile detention until age 21 and will then be transferred to an adult penitentiary.
Having already served almost two years, he may however be let out on parole in less than three years.