Rocco Casalino wins in court against Dagospia. Giuseppe Conte’s former spokesperson at Palazzo Chigi, according to the ruling of the Brindisi court, will have to be compensated by the site and its director, Roberto D’Agostino, for the sum of 75 thousand euros for defamation, divided into average (35 thousand euros) and high severity (42 thousand euros).
The sentence
The decision of the Apulian judiciary also imposes the immediate and definitive removal of all incriminating writings and posts within five days, establishing a penalty of 500 euros for each day of delay and the obligation to publish the provisions of the sentence, at the exclusive expense of the defendants, in three relevant national newspapers (Il Evening courier, Il Sole 24 Ore And The Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno) in addition to being sentenced to pay over 14 thousand euros in court costs.
To end up in the sights of Casalinodamaged in his dignity, is the article which refers, to the times in which he was on the staff of the then Prime Minister, to his role in the rise of Beppe Convertini to the management of Vita in diretta-Estate, also accompanied by photos which, we read in the sentence, create “a ‘dark’ image of the political figure”, and another article, taken from theExpressedin which the journalist in the title on the site is defined as “the most implausible, arrogant, vulgar spokesperson for the Presidency of the Council that history can remember”.
The sign with the writing “Ricch***”
However, what most of all made it possible to monetize – in spite of itself – Casalino is the post published by the Dagocafonal profile on social media on 21 May 2020, in which Conte and the journalist are depicted in a photomontage with “a sign with the unspeakable writing “Ricch***” behind them. This also generated quite a few homophobic comments, which cannot be considered satire, just like the photo itself.
D’Agostino, contacted byAdnkronoshe plays down: “It’s crazy, it’s your home court that made the decision… It’s not a problem, it will go to appeal, but imagine if with all the Trumps, the Netanyahus, the Putins we’re thinking about Casalino – he says again -. I’m eighty years old, I know the rules of the game and the risks of the job”.