Judgment No. 45280 of 2024: The Importance of the Presumption of Innocence in the Assessment of Social Dangerousness

Judgment No. 45280 of October 30, 2024, by the Court of Cassation represents an important moment of reflection on the fundamental principles of criminal law and preventive measures in Italy. It addresses the issue of the relevance of an acquittal judgment within the preventive proceeding, clarifying some fundamental aspects related to the presumption of innocence and the principle of non-contradiction in the legal system.

The Context of the Judgment

In this specific case, the defendant, R. C., had been acquitted of a tax evasion charge because the evaded tax was found to be below the threshold of criminal relevance. Nonetheless, in the preventive proceeding, there was an attempt to use this incident as an indicative element of general social dangerousness. The Court clarified that a statement of dangerousness cannot be based on facts for which there has been a definitive acquittal judgment.

Principle of Non-Contradiction and Presumption of Innocence

The Court emphasized that, according to the principle of non-contradiction in the legal system and the presumption of innocence as interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights, the irrevocable penal denial of a fact prevents it from being considered as an indicative element for the assessment of dangerousness. This aspect is fundamental, as it reinforces the idea that the legal situation of an individual cannot be compromised by a fact for which they have been declared innocent.

Assessment of general social dangerousness - Definitive acquittal judgment - Autonomous evaluation of the fact in the preventive proceeding - Exclusion - Reasons - Case. In terms of preventive measures, the judge, despite the autonomy between criminal proceedings and preventive proceedings, cannot attribute relevance, in order to reach a statement of general dangerousness of the proposed subject under Article 1, paragraph 1, letter b), Legislative Decree of September 6, 2011, No. 159, to facts for which a definitive acquittal judgment has been rendered, since, by virtue of the principle of non-contradiction of the legal system and the presumption of innocence as interpreted by the ECHR, the irrevocable penal denial of a specific fact prevents it from being considered as an indicative element for the purposes of the assessment of dangerousness. (In this case, the appellant had been acquitted of the offense under Article 4, Legislative Decree of March 10, 2000, No. 74, because the evaded tax was below the threshold of criminal relevance).

Conclusions

Judgment No. 45280 of 2024 reaffirms fundamental legal principles that protect individual rights, particularly in relation to the presumption of innocence and the principle of non-contradiction in criminal law. This case highlights the importance of ensuring that preventive measures cannot be influenced by already concluded legal situations, such as an acquittal judgment, in order not to compromise the rights of those who have already been declared innocent. Jurisprudence continues to emphasize the centrality of respecting fundamental rights in the context of preventive measures, a topic of crucial importance for our legal system.

Bianucci Law Firm