A 35-year-old man in Italy was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, but due to his significant weight gain during his incarceration, he will now serve his sentence under house arrest.
Dimitri Fricano killed his girlfriend, Erika Preti, in June 2017 during a fight that erupted after she criticized him for leaving breadcrumbs on the table. Fricano admitted to the killing, stating that Erika insulted him about the bread and hit him in the head, prompting him to kill her in response.
Despite being sentenced to three decades behind bars for the knife murder, Fricano has become so overweight, gaining 80 kilos during his time in prison, that his health is no longer considered suitable for the prison environment. The court ruled that his current weight of 200 kilograms has made it difficult for him to walk, and his risk of heart and vascular diseases prompted the decision for him to serve his sentence under house arrest at his home in Biella.
The decision has sparked outrage and dismay, particularly from the victim’s family. Erika’s father, Fabrizio Preti, described the court’s decision as “shameful” and expressed disappointment in the reduced punishment for his daughter’s killer.
“I knew he wouldn’t serve 30 years in prison, but six is really too few,” said Fabrizio Preti. “The pain is still so great for us. They say time heals all wounds, but that doesn’t apply to two parents whose daughter was taken from them. When some friends told me that Dimitri had been sent under house arrest, the old wound was reopened.”
The court’s decision to grant Fricano house arrest has incited controversy and renewed the pain for the family of the victim, who feel that justice has not been served.