Overview
- The Tribunal of Trapani convicted Antonino Pizzolato and three friends in a first‑instance ruling published Monday, July 6, 2026, and sentenced each to five years and four months in prison.
- Prosecutors said the four raped a 27‑year‑old Finnish tourist after meeting her in Trapani on July 22, 2022, the woman reported the assault to the Carabinieri the next morning and joined the trial as a civil party.
- The prosecution had sought 10‑year sentences, arguing there was no evidence of consent, while the court accepted generic mitigating circumstances but still handed down convictions and ordered perpetual disqualification from specified public offices.
- The defendants have said the encounter was consensual and their lawyers have announced appeals, so the criminal sentences and the amount of any compensation remain subject to further judicial review.
- Pizzolato is a two‑time Olympic bronze medallist and a member of Fiamme Oro who was suspended in 2018 for threats and intimidation at the national training centre, a background that adds pressure on federations and the police sports group to consider disciplinary steps.