Magistrate reprimanded over pharmacist who committed suicide

Rome, March 16 - The Italian judiciary's self-governing body, the CSM, on Thursday reprimanded Bologna prosecutor Valter Giovannini over the case of Vera Guidetti, a pharmacist who killed her mother and then committed suicide. The murder-suicide took place days after the prosecutor had questioned the woman as a witness in a case about the theft of some jewelry. In the note found by her body, the woman said the prosecutor had treated her like a criminal and had not believed in her good faith. A CSM disciplinary panel ruled against Giovannini for continuing to question Guidetti as a witness, even though evidence had emerged of wrongdoing and she asked to have a defence lawyer with her. Giovannini said he would appeal.