Italy's Prime Minister Meloni sharply criticizes release after alleged sex offender case

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reacted with sharp criticism to the release of a suspected sex offender in Turin. A judge released a 42-year-old Bangladeshi grocery store employee after two days in custody, despite prosecutors' request for pretrial detention.

The man was arrested last weekend in the Madonna di Campagna district of Turin. He is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl and a woman. According to Italian media, he explained in court that he had made a mistake that he regretted. The judge ordered his release but required him to report regularly to the police.

Meloni was stunned on Facebook. The security authorities had fulfilled their task and the public prosecutor's office had requested the toughest measure. However, the judge's decision destroyed the entire work within 48 hours. "Who explains this to this family? Who explains this to this neighborhood that knows tonight that this man is there again?" wrote the head of government. At the same time, she expressed her solidarity with the girl and her family.

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio confirmed that an investigation had been launched and inspectors would be dispatched. At the same time, he emphasized that the decision fell within the area of ​​judicial independence.

The Italian judges' association ANM criticized the government's reactions. ANM President Giuseppe Tango spoke of attacks from high-ranking government officials that went beyond mere criticism. He described the deployment of inspectors as “unorthodox”.

The case attracted a lot of attention on social networks. Video recordings from the store where the alleged attacks occurred are said to show the acts. The store employee himself handed the recordings over to the police.

People demonstrated in front of the police headquarters in Turin under the slogan “Close the pedophile market!” The rally was organized, among others, by Meloni's Fratelli d'Italia party. Party representatives called it “unacceptable” that the man could return to work.

The dispute comes at a time of tense relations between the government and the judiciary. Meloni's planned judicial reform failed in a referendum in March 2026. The reform envisaged, among other things, the separation of the careers of judges and prosecutors as well as new disciplinary structures for lawyers. Critics had accused the government of restricting the independence of the judiciary and expanding political influence.

In autumn 2022, Meloni became the first woman to become Prime Minister of Italy. On Friday, 1,413 days later, her government will be the longest-serving since the founding of the Republic of Italy. The 49-year-old head of government appears to remain stable in office, her poll numbers dwarf those of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). But around a year before the next parliamentary election, her re-election is threatened due to political setbacks and new competition from the right.