The swift reversal of political support for Carmelo Cinturrino, the Milan police officer who shot and killed Abderrahim Mansour in the Rogoredo district, has exposed a deep fissure within Italy’s governing coalition and raised questions about the independence of the judiciary. Initial endorsements from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, including calls for an expedited “scudo penale” – a legal shield – for law enforcement, evaporated as evidence emerged suggesting the shooting was not a case of self-defense.
Just weeks after the February 25th incident, the narrative shifted dramatically. What began as a defense of an officer purportedly protecting himself from an armed drug dealer – later revealed to be carrying a replica firearm – transformed into a cautious distancing from Cinturrino, followed by a tacit acknowledgement of wrongdoing. The speed of the about-face prompted criticism from opposition parties demanding a full accounting from Meloni and Salvini, who had prominently championed the initial defense.
Achille Serra, a former head of the Milan Mobile Squad and Questore of Milan, observed that while isolated incidents of misconduct are inevitable within a force of approximately 300,000 officers, the focus should be on the actions of Cinturrino’s colleagues. “The problem is understanding how the others, the colleagues who were with him, behaved, and who should have stopped him immediately,” Serra stated, according to Il Giornale. He added that he had encountered officers like Cinturrino during his career, but the greater concern lay with those who failed to intervene.
The case bears echoes of the “Uno Bianca” scandal of the early 1990s, a period of intense political violence and mafia activity. Serra, who was involved in investigating that case as vice-chief of police, noted that superficiality and inattention to detail within the police force allowed unacceptable events to occur. He drew a distinction between the two cases, but highlighted a common thread: systemic failures in oversight, and control.
The initial rush to defend Cinturrino, and the subsequent calls for a legal shield, were criticized as a populist measure that bypassed due process. As MilanoToday editorialized, the officer quickly became “the rotten apple” after initially being lauded as a hero. The swift transition from defense to condemnation, the publication noted, revealed a pattern of political expediency and a willingness to abandon support when faced with unfavorable evidence.
Ennio Mora, writing in his blog, characterized the situation as a “capriola” – a somersault – for the government, forced to backtrack on its initial stance. He pointed to the government’s prior efforts to link the case to a broader campaign against judicial overreach, particularly in relation to a planned referendum on changes to the legal system. The emergence of evidence contradicting the initial narrative undermined those efforts and placed the government on the defensive.
The investigation continues, with attention now focused on the actions of Cinturrino’s colleagues and the circumstances surrounding the shooting. No official statement has been released regarding the potential for disciplinary action against other officers involved, and the government has remained largely silent on the matter since the initial reversal of its position. A referendum on judicial reform is still scheduled for March 22-23.
