Italian Man Defends Self, Italian PM Meloni Defends Self Defense Law

 Map of Italy in the Public Domain

A homeowner in the Italian province of Rovigo used a firearm to defend himself from armed intruders in 2025. The precise date has not been published. The Italian Prime Minister, Georgia Meloni defended the reform of Italian defense law, which has protected the homeowner from having his name made public. The law protected the homeowner from an intense investigation as someone suspected of using lethal force in an illegitimate manner.

During the Fascist regime of Mussolini, the Italian laws about self defense were made very restrictive. Controls on the ownership of firearms were tightened. Italy reformed its law on self defense in 2019.

The recent case involves a 68-year-old man who has not be identified. The crime occurred in Rovigo. An unidentified, masked, armed, home invader threatened the homeowner, and he responded with gunfire. At least two other suspects were involved. The homeowner appears to have wounded one of the suspects before they fled. Italian Prime Minister Meloni defended the homeowner’s right to self defense in his home. From unionesarda.it:

“Defense is always legitimate.” This is how Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni commented on the case of a property owner in Rovigo who injured a burglar during an attempted robbery at his home and is not being investigated under the new self-defense rules.

The Mobile Squad is investigating the case: the incident occurred in a house in Grignano. Two or three bandits were involved, one of whom was wounded by a gunshot fired by the homeowner. The shooter, a 68-year-old, is reportedly not under investigation under the new self-defense law.

One of the first cases under the reformed law was that of Fredy Pacini, a 61-year-old shop owner who defended himself against multiple intruders. Pacini was investigated and named in public. Charges against him were eventually dismissed. The reformed law is popular in Italy.

The province of Rovigo is in north east Italy on the coast, including the delta of the river Po. The town of Rovigo is the capital of the province, with a population of 55 thousand. Grignano is a frazioni, sort of  a suburb of Rovigo. The prosecutor in the case identified several particulars which qualified the homeowner as protected under the reformed law. From wantedinrome.com:  

“The victim fired, aiming at non-vital areas, with a properly registered weapon, to defend himself from a man wearing a balaclava who was inside his home in the dark and who was attempting to attack him with a screwdriver despite the alarm having been triggered and despite the victim having already loudly warned that he was armed and had also asked those inside his home to leave”, Fasolato stated.

The reformed law is very restrictive by the standards in most states in the United States of America. In the United States, every shot is considered the use of lethal force, and “shooting to wound” is not a legal doctrine. Italy does not have a version of the Second Amendment. They are recovering after 90 years of laws put in place during the Mussolini regime. It has been a major change in the law to enshrine the right to defense of self in the home into black letter law. From Europeanconservative.com:

Deputy PM Matteo Salvini credited League-backed reforms for protecting “law-abiding citizens.”

Protection of law abiding citizens who reasonably act in defense of self and others has been a major part of restoring rights protected by the Second Amendment in the United States.

 ©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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