Lucrezia Ciotti In Venice, being targeted by the police for pickpocketing doesn't necessarily mean a conviction . In some cases, the perpetrators manage to secure acquittal by compensating the victims or donating to charity. This option, provided for by the law, is causing controversy, especially when the robbed individuals are foreign tourists who are difficult to trace after returning home.
Remedial measures: what the law provides and what the limits are
These provisions are based on Article 162-ter of the Criminal Code , introduced in 2017 to allow, under certain conditions, the extinction of the crime through compensation for damages. The provision establishes that the defendant may benefit from this option when he or she returns the stolen property or compensates the injured party in full, also taking steps to eliminate, where possible, the negative consequences of the conduct.
The law also provides for a particular circumstance: the judge can consider the compensation offer valid even if the victim has not accepted it , provided that he considers the proposed sum adequate.
The regulatory framework changed again in April 2026, when new provisions were introduced that restored the possibility of ex officio prosecution of certain types of theft, including those involving the theft of payment cards and identity documents.
However, for events prior to the amendment and for cases that continue to require a complaint from the injured party, the problem of the victim's absence during the proceedings remains. If the tourist fails to file a complaint or it is not possible to proceed according to the conditions established by law, the proceedings may not result in a conviction.
Venice: Pickpockets acquitted after compensation: how thieves avoid trial
In Venice, the fight against tourist theft is intertwined with a controversial legal issue: several pickpockets apprehended by law enforcement have managed to obtain financial compensation for the crime . As reported by the Corriere della Sera , the most recent incident dates back to November 4, when single judge Marco Bertolo acquitted two Romanian citizens, aged 40 and 50, accused of robbing two German tourists about a month and a half earlier. The women had been deprived of a credit card, which was subsequently used to withdraw €1,000. The two men were, however, identified and arrested by local police. During the proceedings, the defense argued for financial compensation : lawyer Damiano Danesin arranged for the victims to receive €400 in compensation through an international money transfer service . The two tourists were emailed a code that they can use to cash out the money at any authorized ATM in their country by showing an ID.
A similar solution was reportedly adopted in another case concluded in the previous days. The case involved a 51-year-old Romanian citizen accused of stealing a Canadian tourist's wallet at the end of June, near the San Stae pier. In that case, the lawyer allegedly reconstructed before the judge the attempts to communicate with the robbed person, showing unanswered emails and messages. The tourist, in fact, was apparently unreachable after the theft. The documentation was reportedly completed by a receipt for a €500 payment to the Fondazione Città della Speranza, a Padua-based organization that supports research into pediatric diseases. The amount was significantly higher than the €70 that, according to the prosecution, was contained in the stolen wallet. In this case too, the judge recognized the possibility of applying the restorative measures mechanism, avoiding further criminal consequences for the defendant.