Altavilla massacre: Barreca’s defender insists on returning to prison in Palermo

Last Updated: April 2, 2024

La strage di Altavilla, il difensore di Barreca insiste: va riportato in carcere a Palermo

Giovanni Barreca has not yet spoken with his lawyer, Giancarlo Barracato (pictured), after being transferred to the Enna prison. As previously reported by the Giornale di Sicilia on Sunday, the management of the Pagliarelli prison had decided to move him to another institution on Friday for security reasons as he had been threatened by other inmates, despite being in isolation.

Although he had the opportunity, the painter – accused of killing a family with the help of his seventeen-year-old daughter, Sabrina Fina and Massimo Carandente, in the massacre that took place in the villa in Altavilla Milicia – has not yet called his defense lawyer: the last contact was just before the prison officers took him from his cell to accompany him to the new facility.

Probably the suspect and his lawyer could have a video call today but Barracato has requested that the transfer be revoked. The distance from the capital would make it difficult for the team of consultants who should soon meet Barreca again to prepare the expert opinion. In addition, Enna does not have the same psychological support as the Palermo prison on which the defense was relying to try to get the man out of the mystical delirium he had fallen into after the crimes.

In recent days, after hearing some complaints from a neighboring cell, Barreca approached the officers, offering to perform an exorcism to free the fellow inmate from possession by the devil. An attitude of a religious fanatic, not appreciated by the other guests in the section, which would have increased the risk of possible retaliations: hence the temporary removal (perhaps) even though, so far, the painter had maintained a behavior as a “model prisoner” within the limits of a person accused of exterminating his family, wife, and two children.

This week could bring a turning point in the investigations: the prosecutors of Termini Imerese will have the results of the examination of phone tabulations and cells, from which videos, audios, and chats have been extracted, as well as the report of the forensic doctor on the autopsies of the victims and the outcome of the initial investigations carried out by the Ris of Messina. At this stage, Barreca may choose not to respond, while the next move by the investigators will be to summon the “brothers of God”, Fina and Carandente: an appointment with their lawyers has been set for Friday, then they can present their version to substitute Manfredi Lanza.