Battisti victim's son calls for 20 yrs

(ANSA) - Rome, March 26 - Cesare Battisti, the former leftwing terrorist arrested in January after almost 40 years as a fugitive to Italian justice, should be required to serve at least 20 years in jail, the son of one of his victims said Tuesday.
    "It is not up to me to say whether Battisti's apology is sincere or not, nor to decide what intellectual objections his lawyers may use. He has these opportunities and it is normal that he uses them," Radio Capital was told by Alberto Torregiani, the son of Pierluigi Torregiani, a jeweler killed by Battisti on February 16, 1979. "However, I believe that he must serve at least 20 years in jail," he added. "I am fine with his later being granted some benefits, if in line with the law", but to get them "it is not enough to simply say that he is sorry". On Monday, for the first time Battisti admitted responsibility for the four murders he was convicted of, Milan prosecutors said. Battisti also confessed to being behind three cases of bodily harm and a number of robberies staged to finance his terror group, the PAC, the prosecutors said.
    Torregiani added that the family members of those killed by Battisti had "never received any apology, any letter" and that the apology had come via his lawyer.
    Family members of his victims, he added, found this out through the media. Battisti should say who helped him remain a fugitive from Italian justice for almost 40 years, one of the investigating magistrates who dealt with the four murders he committed in Italy's Years of Lead said Tuesday.
    Battisti was long a fugitive in France and Brazil before the latter extradited him to Italy to serve two life terms for the murders last year.
    On Monday he finally apologised for them in a statement some saw as seeking time off his sentences.
    "If he wants to give a tardy contribution," said former judge Pietro Forno, "he could do by speaking about those who supported, sustained, funded and helped his flight (from justice) and his being on the run".
    Forno said Battisti's statement Monday was a "normal proclamation of the so-called disassociated (ex-terrorists) who don't give any contribution to the authorities of the State they say they respect".