A woman set on fire by her
former boyfriend earlier this year said on the international day
against violence against woman Friday that "looking into the
mirror and not recognising yourself is the hardest thing to
face".
Carla Caiazzo, 38, was doused with inflammable liquid and
torched by Paolo Pietropaolo February 1 while she was eight
months pregnant.
Pietropaolo, 40, was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in
prison. Prosecutors had requested a 15-year sentence .
He told prosecutors he could have killed her, but wanted to
ruin her face instead because she was beautiful.
"I had no intention of killing Carla... after setting her on
fire I could have run her over and I didn't," Pietropaolo said.
"I wanted to disfigure her because she is a very beautiful
girl".
Caiazzo sustained third-degree burns to her face and upper
body and has undergone 21 surgeries since the attack.
Doctors managed to deliver her premature baby - now a
thriving nine-month-old girl - after a neighbor rescued Caiazzo
by putting out the flames while Pietropaolo fled the scene in
his car.
The incident took place in the street in front of
the couple's home in the town of Pozzuoli, near Naples.
Pietropaolo was arrested later that day at Formia, between
Naples and Rome, where he had a car accident.
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