Two of five people arrested in
the rape and murder of 16-year-old Desirée Mariottini in Rome
last month on Tuesday saw their murder charges dropped.
A re-examination court annulled the murder charges against
Chima Alinno and Brian Minthe.
It also scaled back a charge of gang rape to sexual abuse
aggravated by the minor age of the victim.
Both saw drug pushing charges upheld.
They therefore remain in jail.
A 36-year-old Roman and alleged pusher, the fifth man in the
case, was arrested on Sunday.
The girl was allegedly drugged up, gang-raped and left to die
in an abandoned building used as a drugs den in Rome's San
Lorenzo district last month in a case that shocked the nation.
The suspect, named as Marco Mancini, was also detained for
allegedly selling drugs, including mixes containing quetiapine,
with minors suspected of being among his clients, the sources
said.
It has not been ruled out that he may have given Mariottini
the drugs that killed her.
During a search, 12 doses of cocaine and various forms of
psychiatric medicine were seized from the suspect, the sources
said.
Four African men, including two Senegalese drug pushers, a
Nigerian and a Ghanian, have also been arrested in relation to
the
case.
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