The Monster of Foligno

Foligno, Italy · 1993

solved Serial killer August 7, 1993

Perpetrator

Luigi Chiatti

Luigi Chiatti, born in 1968, was an accountant from Foligno who had been adopted as an infant. He abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered two young boys in 1992 and 1993. Arrested in 1993, he confessed and was convicted; deemed partially mentally infirm, he received a 30-year sentence and was later held in a judicial psychiatric facility after expressing intent to reoffend.

Victims

Simone Allegretti (4)
Lorenzo Paolucci (13)

Location

Foligno, Italy

Summary

Luigi Chiatti, dubbed the Monster of Foligno, abducted and murdered two young boys in the Umbrian town of Foligno in 1992 and 1993.

Details

In October 1992, four-year-old Simone Allegretti vanished in Foligno and was later found dead, having been sexually assaulted and strangled. In August 1993, thirteen-year-old Lorenzo Paolucci disappeared and was found killed in similar circumstances. Investigators traced evidence to Luigi Chiatti, a local accountant, who confessed to both murders. He was convicted and sentenced to 30 years, judged to suffer from partial mental infirmity. After his prison term, he was confined to a secure psychiatric facility amid concerns he remained dangerous.

Overview

Luigi Chiatti, dubbed by the Italian press "il Mostro di Foligno" (the Monster of Foligno), is an Italian child murderer responsible for the abduction and killing of two young boys in the Umbrian town of Foligno in 1992 and 1993. The murders of four-year-old Simone Allegretti and thirteen-year-old Lorenzo Paolucci shocked the local community and drew national attention, in part because the killer taunted investigators with written messages signed "the Monster."

Chiatti was arrested in August 1993, shortly after the second killing, and confessed to both crimes. His prosecution, the debate over his mental state, and his continued detention in a secure psychiatric facility long after the formal expiry of his prison term have kept the case prominent in Italian discussions of criminal responsibility and dangerousness.

Background

Luigi Chiatti was born Antonio Rossi on 27 February 1968 in Narni, in the Italian region of Umbria. According to widely reported accounts, his birth mother, a young domestic worker, abandoned him soon after his birth, and he spent his early childhood in an orphanage. At around the age of six he was adopted by a Foligno-area physician, Ermanno Chiatti, and his wife; the adoption was formalised in 1975, and the child took the name Luigi Chiatti.

Reports of his early life describe a troubled and isolated upbringing. During his later trial, testimony was presented that he had suffered sexual abuse during his time in institutional care. These elements of his history would later feature in the legal and psychiatric assessment of his mental condition.

The Murders

The first killing occurred on 4 October 1992. Four-year-old Simone Allegretti disappeared in the countryside between Foligno and Bevagna. His body was found two days later, on 6 October 1992, along an embankment not far from where he had last been seen.

The second killing occurred on 7 August 1993, when thirteen-year-old Lorenzo Paolucci was found dead near Casale, a hamlet within the Foligno area. Both victims were boys lured and killed in the countryside surrounding the town. During the investigation, messages signed "the Monster" were left near the Foligno railway station, taunting authorities and referencing the crimes, a feature that intensified public alarm and media coverage.

Investigation and Arrest

The killing of Lorenzo Paolucci in August 1993 led investigators rapidly to Chiatti, who was arrested on 8 August 1993, the day after the boy's body was found. He confessed to both murders.

The combination of the two child killings and the provocative written communications gave the case a high profile in the Italian media, where Chiatti became known as the Monster of Foligno. His confession removed doubt as to authorship of the crimes, shifting the central legal questions toward his mental state and the degree of his criminal responsibility.

Trial, Sentence and Detention

Chiatti's trial opened in late 1994. At first instance he was convicted and, on 28 December 1994, sentenced to two life terms. On appeal, the Court of Appeal of Perugia reformed the verdict on 11 April 1996, declaring him semi-mentally ill ("seminfermo di mente") and reducing his sentence to 30 years' imprisonment. Italy's Court of Cassation upheld the 30-year sentence in 1997.

Although his prison term was due to conclude, Chiatti was not released into freedom. Reports indicate that upon completion of his prison sentence in 2015 he was transferred to a REMS, a secure residence for the execution of security measures, in Sardinia, on the basis that he remained socially dangerous. Court reviews in subsequent years extended his detention there. The case is frequently cited in Italy in debates over how the justice system manages offenders judged partially mentally ill yet still considered a danger to the public.

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Frequently asked questions

What was the The Monster of Foligno case?

Luigi Chiatti, dubbed the Monster of Foligno, abducted and murdered two young boys in the Umbrian town of Foligno in 1992 and 1993.

Who was responsible for The Monster of Foligno?

Luigi Chiatti. Luigi Chiatti, born in 1968, was an accountant from Foligno who had been adopted as an infant. He abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered two young boys in 1992 and 1993. Arrested in 1993, he confessed and was convicted; deemed partially mentally infirm, he received a 30-year sentence and was later held in a judicial psychiatric facility after expressing intent to reoffend.

Who were the victims of the The Monster of Foligno case?

The named victims were Simone Allegretti, Lorenzo Paolucci.

Where and when did the The Monster of Foligno case take place?

It took place in Foligno, Italy in 1993.

Was the The Monster of Foligno case solved?

This case is recorded as solved.

Sources & further reading

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