Defense presents audio recording of Asia’s moans in rape case at Foro Italico in Palermo

Last Updated: May 21, 2025

La ragazza vittima dello stupro di gruppo a Palermo trasferita in una località segreta, la Procura avvia un'inchiesta

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The latest act of defense for the six boys accused of group rape at the Foro Italico, which occurred on July 7 last year, is the submission of two files in which some sighs of the girl can be heard that suggest her participation was consensual and not a sexual assault. This detail emerged during yesterday’s hearing, when lawyer Alessandro Martorana, who is representing Gabriele Di Trapani, announced that he had included these audio files extracted from videos taken by another defendant, Angelo Flores, in the abandoned construction site where the abuses took place.

The lawyer also explained the group’s version: according to their reconstruction, the 19-year-old – now 20 – would have organized everything, welcomed the advances, led the group, and proposed to go off alone in that isolated place. Some passages from the report of the psychologist appointed by the prosecutors were also read, describing the victim’s discomfort and her constant sense of loss and abandonment, the inner emptiness to fill at all costs, the need to feel alive by seeking sometimes extreme experiences, and a profound distrust of others. A borderline personality – according to experts – that would make her unreliable and lacking credibility.

Another point the lawyer Martorana focused on was Nicole’s account, the victim’s close friend: in court, the content of the statement acquired by the defense was reiterated, in which the young woman had stated that “she never spoke of rape or similar things and instead told me it was consensual.” But it was also highlighted that Asia had repeatedly stated that she had suffered other abuses in the years before, some of which were not reported, a detail that would show her lack of credibility.

On Monday, the lawyers Giorgio Zanasi and Carlo Congedo, representing Cristian Barone and Samuele La Grassa, will speak, while on the 25th, the prosecutors and civil parties may present their rebuttal before closing, possibly within this month, with the verdict. The requests made by the deputy prosecutor Laura Vaccaro and the deputy prosecutors Mario Calabrese and Monica Guzzardi were very heavy: 12 years in prison each for Angelo Flores, Gabriele Di Trapani, Cristian Barone, Christian Maronia, and Elio Arnao, while for Samuele La Grassa, it was slightly lower, at 10 years and 8 months.