It was the night between 3 and 4 May 2022, when Alessandro Maja took the life of his wife Stefania Pivetta and his daughter Giulia, attempting to do the same with his son Nicolò. Today, two years later, the man is in prison, sentenced to life imprisonment.
Two neighbors who were leaving to go to work alerted the emergency services in the early hours of the morning: they had heard the man screaming. Once the rescuers arrived on site they couldn’t do anything for Stefania and Giulia, but there was hope for Nicolò.
According to the reconstruction, the man first attacked his wife, who was sleeping on the sofa, hitting her with a hammer and then cutting her throat with a knife. To then head upstairs and attack, again with the hammer, his daughter Giulia and Nicolò. From the autopsy, it emerged that the young girl would have tried to defend herself from the attack, while her mother would not have noticed anything.
Nicolò, however, had managed to defend himself and even save himself, but in critical conditions and during the funeral of his sister and mother, the thoughts of everyone present had also turned to him. And the prayers were heard, because Nicolò returned to live his life, with his maternal grandparents, Giulio and Ines, who found in him the strength to carry on after losing a daughter and a granddaughter.
The trial of Alessandro Maja, who immediately pleaded guilty, began on 27 January. His lawyers had requested a psychiatric evaluation, but he was found to be capable of understanding and wanting.
On May 19, 2023, the perpetrator of the massacre was heard. He was first questioned about the economic issue since, up to that point, he had said that he had monetary problems. But here, it emerged that he only had an account in the red of 10 thousand euros, while the others contained 500 thousand and 189 thousand. Then he had talked about some relationship problems, and then got to the murder, but the memory was not clear: “I don’t remember cutting her throat.” He also apologized in court: “I apologize, even if I committed an unforgivable crime.” Nicolò, outside the courtroom, responded as follows: “Forgiveness, no, but I can’t feel hatred towards him.”
Then, on June 23, prosecutor Martina Melita requested a life sentence for the man. And Nicolò, with the photo of his mother and sister on his t-shirt, had asked for justice for them and for himself: “He was lucid, I hope he is given the punishment he deserves.”
And on July 21st the Assize Court of Busto Arsizio issued the verdict: life imprisonment. However, Maja’s lawyers appealed the sentence: on 14 February, the Assize Court of Milan confirmed the sentence. But the lawyers decided to appeal again and, on April 16, they filed the appeal, so it will be sent to the Supreme Court.
An event that has affected the whole of Italy, gathered around the community of Samarate who today only hope that Nicolò can move on with his life, obtaining the operation that could allow him to live it fully again.
