The 13-year-old boy tied to the tragic passing of tourist Chiara Jaconis had allegedly shown a troubling pattern.
Long before he threw a statue at Chiara and took her life, the boy engaged in a dangerous “habit” that parents should have curbed, prosecutors said.
“The law is doing a very poor job of tracking morality here,” one commented online.
Highlights
- Chiara and her boyfriend were on a dream holiday, celebrating her 30th birthday in Naples.
- Their trip ended in tragedy just as the couple were ready to fly back home.
- Prosecutors have been pushing for accountability in Chiara’s case and have blamed the parents for ignoring warning signs.
The 13-year-old boy tied to the tragic passing of tourist Chiara Jaconis had allegedly shown a troubling pattern
Image credits: tgcom24
The 13-year-old boy did not face criminal charges over Chiara Jaconis’ passing because the law in Italy states that children under the age of 14 cannot be held criminally liable for any offense.
However, prosecutors have been pushing for accountability in Chiara's case and have blamed the parents for ignoring warning signs.
Image credits: tgcom24
Chiara, originally from Padua, Italy, had moved to France and worked as a Prada manager, handling 15 stores in different parts of France, Monaco, and Belgium.
To celebrate her 30th birthday in 2024, she and her boyfriend Livio Rousseau had traveled to Naples.
But their dream holiday ended in tragedy just as the couple were ready to fly back home.
Chiara and her boyfriend were on a dream holiday, celebrating her 30th birthday in Naples
Image credits: thejaconis
Surveillance cameras captured them rolling their luggage down a quiet street when an object fell on Chiara with great force.
As his girlfriend collapsed onto the ground, Livio fell to his knees and yelled, “Chiara … Oh my God!”
He cried for help, and Chiara eventually received medical attention.
Image credits: thejaconis
The injured tourist was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery. But she succumbed to her brain injuries within a couple of days.
Investigators found that the object that took the tourist’s life was an ancient Egyptian statuette that weight 4.4lbs.
The 4.4lbs object fell 32 feet, landing straight on the unsuspecting tourist's head
The 13-year-old boy threw the onyx statuette from a third-floor balcony, and it landed 32 feet down, straight on the victim’s head.
Prosecutors accused the parents of causing Chiara’s passing and said they should be charged with manslaughter for the boy’s actions.
They described the boy as “problematic” and pointed to a history of him throwing objects from a height.
Image credits: tgcom24
Around 15 months before Chiara traveled to Naples for her milestone birthday, the teen’s mother confided in a child sitter.
She allegedly said she was concerned about her son throwing objects from the balcony.
The boy allegedly had a dangerous “habit” of throwing objects from the balcony
Image credits: tgcom24
Prosecutors claimed the boy had previously thrown a tablet, an AC remote control, and clothespins, as it became a “habit” for him.
The parents were accused of failing to “strengthen the locks” on the balcony to prevent their son from going there.
Image credits: tgcom24
However, the lawyer for the parents, Carlo Bianco, said they have “no case to answer,” which meant there was not enough proof of wrongdoing.
“This is a tragedy that has struck two respectable families, that of poor Chiara and that of the two professionals,” he was quoted saying.
Image credits: tgcom24
The lawyer said his clients always showed “great care and protection toward their son, who has suffered from health problems since birth.”
A hearing on June 26 is expected to determine whether the parents will face trial or not.
Chiara’s grieving father continues to push for justice
Image credits: tgcom24
Meanwhile, Chiara’s family continued to push for justice.
Her grieving father Gianfranco spoke about seeing the boy's parents being held accountable.
Image credits: tgcom24
“It's a step we've been waiting for,” he said. “It doesn't reward us or satisfy us because another hard and tortuous journey lies ahead. But it's a start.”
“The only consolation that will help us face this new torturous journey, made up of hearings, testimonies, and interrogations, is that we are finally getting to the truth – the one we have always sought,” he added.
Netizens had mixed reactions to the turn of events
