Yara Gambirasio | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 21 May 1997 |
| Died | 26 November 2010 (aged 13) Chignolo d'Isola, Italy |
| Cause of death | Blunt force trauma, frostbite |
| Body discovered | 26 February 2011 |
| Education | Middle school |
| Occupation(s) | Student, gymnast |
| Known for | Murder victim |
| Parents |
|
On 26 November 2010, Yara Gambirasio, a 13-year-old Italian schoolgirl disappeared after a gymnastics practice in Brembate di Sopra, Lombardy, Italy. Her body was found in February 2011,[1] in Chignolo d'Isola, 10km from Brembate. The body, now decomposed, showed multiple superficial cuts and a head wound, none of which were individually lethal, but she died from a combination of these injuries, hypothermia, and lack of food and water. There was no clear sign of sexual assault, but DNA traces were found on her leggings and intimate clothing.
In August 2011, the final autopsy report had not been released, and the exact cause of death was undetermined, but leaked details suggested the death resulted from a head blow, non-lethal cuts, and hypothermia. Yara's funeral was held on 28 May 2011, led by Bishop Francesco Beschi of Bergamo. Initially, a young Moroccan man, Mohamed Fikri, was wrongly arrested due to a mistranslation of his words.
Forensic scientists analyzed 22,000 DNA profiles from a trace found on Yara's underwear and leggings, eventually leading to the arrest of Massimo Bossetti, a local construction worker, in June 2014. His DNA matched that of "Ignoto 1," the nickname given to the suspect. Bossetti pleaded not guilty to the abduction and killing,[2] arguing his DNA was either contaminated or fabricated, but police maintained the sample was of excellent quality. Despite questions about the DNA evidence, Bossetti was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Corte d'Assise of Bergamo in July 2016,[2] with the verdict upheld on appeal and confirmed by the Court of Cassation in October 2018. In November 2019, Bossetti's lawyers requested a review of the DNA evidence, which was denied in March 2021 due to insufficient DNA remaining.
The search for the culprit was one of the most extensive in Italian criminal history.[3] In December 2022, an investigation into Letizia Ruggeri, the chief investigator, was launched over accusations of misdirection and trial fraud. In 2024, Netflix released a documentary series on the case.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Acosta, Nicole (2 July 2016). "DNA evidence and family secrets snare Italian child murderer". The Guardian.
- ^ Jones, Tobias (2 January 2015). "The murder that has obsessed Italy". The Guardian.