Italian authorities have arrested four individuals suspected of orchestrating a bomb attack against Sigfrido Ranucci, an investigative journalist for the RAI programme Report. The attack took place in October outside his residence near Pomezia, a town southeast of Rome.
The four suspects are now subject to precautionary custody measures. They face charges including carrying and using an explosive device in a public place, criminal damage, and issuing threats. The offences are considered aggravated because the group allegedly acted as part of a larger network of more than five people and employed methods typical of organised crime, according to the preliminary investigation judge.
Details of the Arrests
The arrested individuals include a young couple from Avella: Pellegrino D'Avino, who was detained by the Carabinieri in Rome and transferred to Rebibbia prison, and his wife, Marika De Filippi, who is under house arrest at their home. Also arrested were Saverio Mutone and Antonio Passariello.
According to the judge's order, the group acted "on the orders of a person who has not yet been identified in planning and preparing the criminal act." Passariello is believed to have procured the vehicle used in the attack, while the other three conducted reconnaissance in the days leading up to the incident. Passariello and Mutone are accused of planting and detonating the explosive device outside Ranucci's home.
Investigators noted that the group had previously carried out other contract jobs, but the judge emphasised that "the way the device was placed does not allow the conclusion that the aim was to kill."
Ranucci's Response
In an interview with Italian daily La Repubblica, Ranucci expressed relief at the arrests. "I have been waiting for this moment since the day of the attack. I had no doubt it would come," he said. He added that the investigation suggests a broader network: "From what I understand, there are those who organised it, those who were complicit, those who provided legal assistance, those who tried to destroy the SIM cards."
Ranucci also praised the authorities: "This story seems to show once again that there is a part of the state that works, that protects its citizens, that does its job properly. Luckily."
Anonymous Tip and Mafia Links
An anonymous email sent on 6 April to Rome prosecutor Carlo Villani named Passariello as the perpetrator. The message, quoted by Italian news agency Adnkronos as cited in the custody order, claimed the operation was carried out without informing the criminal group linked to him. The author said that Passariello had been accompanied by a young man named Luca, who lives at his address, and that the two boasted "from morning till night" of having set off the bomb "on behalf of the Moccia clan."
However, the judge's order noted that "at this stage, no evidence has emerged that Passariello belongs to the criminal milieu of the Moccia clan of Afragola."
Press Freedom Concerns
The National Federation of the Italian Press (FNSI) has issued a statement expressing readiness to join any trial as a civil party. The FNSI said it is "aware that the investigation is not yet over. We hope that as soon as possible it will lead to further developments and to the identification of those who ordered the attack and the motives behind the act against the journalist."
Usigrai, the RAI journalists' union, also published a press release expressing "satisfaction at the progress made in the investigation into the attack," adding that the aim was to strike "the whole world of investigative journalism and Article 21 of the Constitution, confirming the fears voiced by major international watchdogs, which place Italy ever lower in the rankings on press freedom."
This incident highlights ongoing concerns about press freedom in Italy, a topic that has drawn attention from organisations such as Reporters Without Borders. For more on security and justice in Europe, see our coverage of the Magdeburg Christmas market attacker sentenced to life in prison.
