Lucrezia Ciotti The trial against the eight former Air Force student pilots has brought the delicate issue of hazing and the initiation rites into the armed forces. At the heart of the story is the "baptism of flight" undergone by Giulia Schiff in 2018 at the Enrico Comani military airport in Latina, a traditional ritual which, according to the prosecution, involved hitting people with twigs, pushing them against the wing of an airplane and throwing them into a swimming pool.
The final verdict in the case is today: here's the judges' decision.
Giulia Schiff, aka “Kida,” and her new life in Ukraine
Giulia Schiff, known by her nom de guerre “Kida”, has started a new phase of her life in UkraineThe former Italian fighter got married and created an organization dedicated to supporting comrades who remained at the front in the conflict with Russia. The former Air Force pilot, who took part in military operations alongside Ukrainian troops to reconquer Russian-occupied territories, decided to leave the war to dedicate herself to humanitarian work supporting local militias, together with her husband, also a former soldier.
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Giulia Schiff, all eight defendants accused of hazing have been acquitted: her reaction in court
La each other dates back to the 2018, when Giulia Schiff, then 19 years old, participated in the traditional "baptism of flight" at the Enrico Comani military airport in Latina. According to the prosecution, during the ceremony, the young woman she would have been hit repeatedly with twigs, thrust against the wing of an airplane and finally thrown in the swimming pool, behavior interpreted as violent. However, the judge considered such practices customary and free from malice, downgrading the injuries to beatings and confirming that the procedure did not constitute a crime.
The incident has reignited the debate on the phenomenon of hazing in the armed forces and on how to protect young people, especially women, in traditionally male-dominated contexts. After the trial, the Air Force changed the celebrations of the “baptism of flight” to avoid potentially dangerous or perceived coercive practices.
The court of Latina has acquitted with full satisfaction the eight former Air Force student pilots accused of private violence and injuries against their colleague Giulia Schiff, establishing that “the fact does not exist”. The single judge Mario La Rosa requalified the contested crimes, reducing the injuries from beatings, which, however, were no longer prosecutable due to the late filing of the complaint. The decision contradicts the request of Public Prosecutor Antonio Sgarrella, who had called for one-year prison sentences for each defendant.
The acquittal was welcomed with joy by the defendants and their families, while the young one, present in the courtroom with her newborn son, has preferred not to make any statements.
Schiff's lawyer stressed that "the sentences are respected, we await the reasons", while the state attorney Maurizio Greco declared that this is "a sentence that rehabilitates the Air Force in its entirety". defense he highlighted how the judge carefully evaluated the investigation without being influenced by the initial accusations, observing that “the boys were always calm about what had happened” and confirming the Air Force's constant support for the defendants.