The prosecutor's office in Trapani, Sicily, has requested a 10-year prison sentence for Olympic weightlifting medalist Antonino Pizzolatto - bronze medalist in Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2021. The same sentence has been requested for three other defendants: Davide Lupo, Claudio Tutino and Stefano Mongiovi.
Pizzolatto and the others are accused of gang rape of a Finnish tourist in July 2022. According to the prosecutor's office, after meeting in a restaurant and after the victim had consumed alcohol, the four had sexual intercourse without her consent. The violence only stopped when the young woman, in tears, asked to be taken back to her hotel.
Prosecutors stressed that no evidence emerged during the trial to show that consent was voluntary. The case will continue in January with the defense's arguments.
The case has caused a stir in Italy, especially because of Pizzolatto's high sporting reputation.