Borgo Vittoria Minimarket Case
The Borgo Vittoria minimarket case concerns a criminal proceeding opened in Turin following a complaint of sexual assault that occurred on 28 August 2026 in a shop in the neighbourhood. A 42-year-old cashier is under investigation for sexual abuse of a thirteen-year-old girl and a forty-year-old woman, incidents that are alleged to have followed unwanted touching during a payment transaction at the counter.
The reported facts
The thirteen-year-old's family filed a complaint after the girl, who had gone into the minimarket to buy drinks, allegedly suffered non-consensual touching while paying, which left her feeling "disgusted". Footage from the surveillance cameras, handed over to investigators by the suspect himself, also revealed an earlier incident of harassment against a forty-year-old woman, who does not appear to have filed a complaint.[1]
Arrest, release and review
After the events, a judge did not validate the cashier's arrest, and he was released under an obligation to report to authorities three days after being taken to the Lorusso e Cutugno prison, sparking controversy. The Turin review tribunal subsequently ordered pre-trial detention for the suspect, deeming custody in prison necessary since, in its view, he lacked suitable accommodation for house arrest. The review tribunal's order is not immediately enforceable, and at the time of the appeal the man is not in prison.[1]
The appeal to the Court of Cassation
On 25 September 2026, the last day available, the suspect's defence, led by lawyer Francesca D'Urzo, filed an appeal with the Court of Cassation against the review tribunal's order, claiming a "flawed rationale" and "the omission of any assessment of a decisive factor". The appeal specifically challenges the assessment regarding the lack of suitable accommodation, arguing that the man has access to a home in Turin even without a formal lease, and the failure to assess the seriousness of the act in relation to the victim's psycho-traumatic aftereffects, a factor relevant to the possible recognition of the mitigating circumstance of lesser gravity.[1]
The review tribunal had already noted that some parameters of the act fall within low-severity thresholds, but had deemed it premature to recognise the mitigating circumstance pending the conclusion of the investigation, also in relation to the state of shock reported by the victim. The Court of Cassation has thirty days to rule on the appeal: if it upholds it, it may independently set a precautionary measure, including none at all, or refer the case back to the review tribunal; if it rejects it, the suspect will have to enter prison.[1]
Related articles: Supreme Court appeal in the Borgo Vittoria cashier case
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Sources
- TorinoToday — 26 September 2026