Vatican Tribunal Decision in Trial of Paolo Gabriele

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 8, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is the translation of the Vatican tribunal’s decision in the case of Paolo Gabriele, the former Papal butler charged with the aggravated theft of private documents belonging to Pope Benedict XVI.

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Decision of the Court of the Vatican City State in the Penal Trial of the Defendant Paolo Gabriele

Prot. N. 8/12 Reg. Gen. Pen.

Object: Penal trial of:

GABRIELE, Paolo, defended by Cristiana Arru, attorney at law

– defendant –

The Court

has pronounced the following sentence:

In light of articles 402, 403 no. 1 and 404 first paragraph no.1 of the penal code,

it declares

the defendant Paolo Gabriele guilty of the crime described by article 404 first paragraph no. 1 of the penal code, for undertaking – and thus abusing the trust deriving from the relations of the office connected with his services – the removal of things that, because of these relations, were left or exposed to his care;

it condemns him therefore to the punishment of 3 years of imprisonment;

in light of article 26 of the law of June 21, 1969, no. 50,

considering that there is no previous penal record, considering also his service prior to the facts being contested, the subjective conviction – even though erroneous – indicated by the defendant as the motivation for his actions, and his statement about the awareness that befell him of having betrayed the Holy Father,

it reduces the penalty to 1 year and 6 months of imprisonment;

it condemns the defendant to the covering the trial’s expenses.

Signed:
Giuseppe Dalla Torre, president
Paolo Papanti-Pelletier
Venerando Marano
Raffaele Ottaviano, substitute clerk

Vatican City, October 6, 2012

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