Villa Estense was recently shaken by a sensational political event. Luigi Cusin, 71 years old, mayoral candidate and leader of the “Civic List for Villa Estense”was accused of stalking a fellow villager. The news led to a real mutiny within its electoral list, with nine of the ten councilor candidates withdrawing their candidacy en masse.
The story has deep roots. On 7 April 2023, Luigi Cusin, as far as we know, he was the recipient of a warning signed by the police commissioner of Padua. This provision, which has the aim of warning or warning a person who carries out persecutory or violent acts, was issued following the complaint of a fellow villager. The woman told the police about having been the victim of stalking, stalking and anonymous calls by Cusinbehaviors that began in 2019 and continued until the spring of 2023. The warning, notified to Cusin on 13 April 2023, clarifies the consequences in the event of new harassing behavior: it can also lead to imprisonment of up to 4 years, with an increased sentence in the case of a subject already warned.
Despite the warning, Cusin has decided to run for mayor of Villa Estense, supported by a civic list made up of ten city councilor candidates. However, a few days after the lists were deposited at the town hall and validated by the Electoral Commission, his list mates discovered the warning and the accusations against their leader.
“We were unaware of everything and only after the presentation and approval of the list did we become aware of this news and the rumors in the town”, declared the candidate councilors. The discovery led to the decision to withdraw the candidacy en masse, formalized with a letter sent to the Prefecture, the Monselice district electoral commission and the Municipality.
The nine candidates who withdrew their candidacy are Christopher Rizzi, Elia Merlin, Frida Fiocco, Giusy Spigolon, Luca Moronato, Marianna Cocchio, Paolo Minella, Rossella Turra and Simone Rizzo. Only list leader Alberto Fasson remains in the running, but he has assured his fellow candidates that he wants to proceed in the same way.
Luigi Cusin, a former local secretary of the Christian Democrats, did not deny the warning and assumed part of the responsibility for the episode that led to the complaint. However, he denied most of the accusations and he said he was extremely surprised by the choice made by his listmates. “I’m not a brigand, it seems clear to me that this is a political system to take me out of the competition,” said the 71-year-old.
In any case, it is important to remember that, in cases of this type, it is essential to keep in mind the presumption of innocence.
