Amanda Knox 2.0? American teens' reduced sentences for murder of Italian police officer reignites controversy of media sensationalism, cultural differences and a fair trial to justice
by Christina Liu
After initially being sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 murder of an Italian police officer, two young Americans avoided Italy’s harshest punishment and are now serving new sentences of 24 and 22 years.
On a fateful summer night in Rome on July 26, 2019, American teenagers Finnegan Lee Elder and Gabriel Natale-Hjorth got into a scuffle with two plainclothes police officers, mistaking them for thugs affiliated with their failed drug deal earlier that night.
Not even a minute had passed before Elder pulled out a 7-inch military blade and stabbed one of the officers, Mario Cerciello Rega, 11 times. Rega later died from his wounds after an ambulance failed to arrive in time.
The ensuing criminal trial exposed a plethora of cultural tensions and legal and ethical complexities. While the prosecution argued that the two Americans murdered Rega in cold blood, the defense maintained that they acted in self-defense after being attacked by two plainclothes officers.
During the investigation, a large collection of images and videos from the boys’ phones leaked to the public, displaying frequent patterns of drug use and violence and setting up the Americans to be seen in a negative light as reckless, irresponsible delinquents.
“I think the boys are guilty,” said Vittorio Citraro, an Italian citizen who was living in Rome when the crime occurred. “They were drunk.”
One can’t help but notice the similarities to the highly publicized and highly controversial Amanda Knox case from 2007 that also involved an American in Italy, accused of murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher.
Like in the Knox case, the role of social media and the media in general has proven to be extremely influential in shaping public opinion and influencing the outcome of criminal trials.
Attitudes towards police are also interesting to consider. In the United States, police officers are often viewed with distrust and suspicion. On the other hand, Italian police, especially the Carabinieri (military police, like the officers involved in this case), are generally respected and viewed in a positive light as protectors who keep order in society.
“Rega was just married,” Citraro recalled. “It’s horrible.”
Another cultural difference that comes into play is the right to bear arms. In the U.S., this is a hotly debated topic with many citizens believing that it is their right to protect themselves with lethal force if necessary. Carrying a knife like Elder’s would, technically speaking, be legal and even logical to some.
In Italy, gun laws are much stricter and citizens do not have the same right to self-defense as Americans. Many Italians questioned why Elder had such a large knife and why he made the decision to bring it all the way to Europe in the first place.
All in all, the verdict remains controversial, with the reduced sentences handed down by the appeals court in March 2022 only fueling these concerns. Some consider the officers involved national heroes and others argue that the Americans did not receive a fair trial due to their status as foreigners.
“I don’t think it was their fault,” said Lucia Lisboa-Rosati, an Italian resident from Brazil who was also living in Rome at the time.
“He was scared in the moment and it was an accident,” she said. “It’s really a shame for everyone involved.”
The parallels with the Amanda Knox case are striking. In both cases, cultural divides, media sensationalism, and a lack of transparency in the criminal justice system have led to widespread public interest and dispute.
As countries become increasingly interconnected, it is essential that we continue to examine and understand the cultural norms that shape our attitudes towards justice and law enforcement. The case of Elder and Natale-Hjorth serves as a reminder that justice is not always universal, and that cultural differences can play a significant role in how we understand and defend motives in criminal trials.