Italy judge upholds Italian's jailing in immigrant's death
ROME (AP) — A judge in Italy on Monday ordered an Italian man to remain in jail as an investigation continues into the death of a Nigerian street vendor whose brutal beating at the hands of the suspect shocked many in Italy and prompted strong condemnation from the Nigerian government.
Police took Filippo Claudio Giuseppe Ferlazzo, 32, into custody on July 29, minutes after the vendor was beaten and left for dead on a busy shopping street in the beach town of Civitanova Marche as bystanders watched, including at least two who filmed the attack.
An autopsy this week will determine the exact cause of death for Alika Ogorchukwu, 39. Widely circulated videos showed the suspect on top of Ogorchukwu, pummeling him with his bare hands after first striking him with the victim's own crutch.
Judge Claudio Bonifazi presided over a hearing for Ferlazzo at a jail near the Adriatic coastal city of Ancona.
Ferlazzo “gave his version of the facts and said he was sorry," defense lawyer Roberta Bizzarri told reporters. She added that Ferlazzo, who is white, said “there was no racial element” involved.
Pressed if Ferlazzo was saying he was sorry to the victim's family, the lawyer replied, ‘’yes, to the family."
Ferlazzo could face charges of murder and robbery because Ogorchukwu's cell phone was taken.
“Ferlazzo's ‘sorrys' aren't enough, now only justice is needed and not vendetta,'' Orgochukwu's family said in a statement issued through their lawyer. "It's difficult to understand what happened.''
The family's lawyer, Francesco Mantella, added in a phone call that the widow, Charity Oriachi, wants to see the suspect “face to face” to try to understand why he killed her husband.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government demanded Italy swiftly “bring the perpetrator of the heinous act” to...