This case study regards the murder of a Tunisian national residing in a small town in southern Italy who was murdered by fellow Tunisian citizen, also living in Italy. The victim was found hogtied and hanged by a cord that was suspended from an iron staff situated between two concrete electrical poles. This method of killing is known as "incaprettemento". It is an unusual type of strangulation whereby a rope is passed around the victim’s wrists, ankles, and throat causing suffocation. This results in a very slow and painful death. Typically, it is a method employed by Italian organized crime groups, but it has also been used in the execution of war crimes. This means of killing is meant to impart a particularly degrading and humiliating revenge on the victim. It may also serve as sign of intimidation and a warning to others. There is very little written about incaprettamento in the literature, but it has, nonetheless, important psychological, anthropological, and cultural implications in the field of criminology. The perpetrator underwent psychodiagnostic evaluations, and was ultimately deemed fit to stand trial.

Incaprettamento: An Unusual Homicide by Ligature Strangulation:

GRATTAGLIANO, IGNAZIO;CATANESI, Roberto
2013-01-01

Abstract

This case study regards the murder of a Tunisian national residing in a small town in southern Italy who was murdered by fellow Tunisian citizen, also living in Italy. The victim was found hogtied and hanged by a cord that was suspended from an iron staff situated between two concrete electrical poles. This method of killing is known as "incaprettemento". It is an unusual type of strangulation whereby a rope is passed around the victim’s wrists, ankles, and throat causing suffocation. This results in a very slow and painful death. Typically, it is a method employed by Italian organized crime groups, but it has also been used in the execution of war crimes. This means of killing is meant to impart a particularly degrading and humiliating revenge on the victim. It may also serve as sign of intimidation and a warning to others. There is very little written about incaprettamento in the literature, but it has, nonetheless, important psychological, anthropological, and cultural implications in the field of criminology. The perpetrator underwent psychodiagnostic evaluations, and was ultimately deemed fit to stand trial.
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11586/132179
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact