Bitterness in Rita Repetto’s note, spread through social media. The sentence explains why Bendinelli was acquitted and why the doctor Paolo Oneda was condemned: «If he had respected the rules, he would have guaranteed Repetto adequate health protection and would have been exempt from any reprimand if the patient had persisted in dangerous requests”
«Today the Court of Appeal of Genoa filed the reasons for the second degree sentence: I note that, according to the Court of Genoa, my sister freely chose to die at the age of 40, with the help of Dr. Oneda, and that Paolo Bendinelli did not hold any position of guarantee towards her, as, according to the judges, Roberta would have “freely oriented herself towards the option for a naturist lifestyle, which has independently sought a profound knowledge of herself”. According to the judges, Roberta could have called an ambulance in her time of need. For Italian justice, my sister practically committed suicide” these are the bitter words of Rita Repetto, sister of Roberta, the 40-year-old teacher who died in 2020 due to the metastasis of a melanoma treated with herbal teas and meditations.
According to the judges of the assize court of appeal, Roberta had “decided the times, place and method” with which to have the mole removed. According to the sentence, Bendinelli “had not created the initial dangerous situation” and “did not have a position of guarantee such as to have had to intervene to protect Roberta’s health”.
The “holy man”, defended by the lawyers Sandro Vaccaro and Francesca Pastore, had been sentenced at first instance to three years and four months together with the doctor Paolo Oneda. The latter, whose sentence had been reduced to 1 year and 4 months, was judged to be guilty of even serious incompetence. The judges underlined that if he had followed the rules he himself recognized as good practice, the chances of recovery would have been very high. Oneda agreed to operate on Roberta on a kitchen table at the Anidra Center, near Chiavari (Genoa), without anesthesia, and not to subject the mole to histological examination.
For the judges, the doctor did not want the woman’s death, but according to the magistrates, «having supported the patient in requests clearly contrary to his duties, prescribed with the aim of providing her with the best protection for her health, constitutes the first fundamental conduct reprehensible to the accused”. It was highlighted that if Oneda had respected the rules, she would have guaranteed Repetto adequate health protection or would have been exempt from any reproach if the patient had insisted on the dangerous requests. According to the magistrates, Roberta “was not made aware of the risks and until the end she was unaware of her imminent end”.
Tags: Death Roberta Repetto reasons sentence sister Italian justice sister practically committed suicide
