Former commander Gualandi in the courtroom for the appeal on the murder of the murdered policewoman

The second degree trial of Giampiero Gualandi, the 65-year-old former commander of the local police of Anzola dell'Emilia, sentenced in the first degree to life imprisonment for the voluntary murder, aggravated by the emotional bond with the victim, of Sofia Stefani, the 33-year-old former colleague with whom he had an extramarital affair, has begun before the Court of Assizes of Appeal of Bologna.

The woman was killed on May 16, 2024 by a gunshot in Gualandi's office, within the local police command of Anzola. The accused, present in the courtroom and assisted by lawyers Claudio Benenati and Lorenzo Valgimigli, always maintained that the shot was accidental, while the prosecution reconstructed the episode as a voluntary homicide.

Also present at the hearing were the victim's parents, Bruno Stefani and Angela Querzè, and the mayor of Anzola dell'Emilia, Paolo Iovino, representing the Municipality which was a civil party. The general prosecutor's office is represented by the attorney general Ciro Cascone and the deputy attorney general Massimiliano Rossi.