Italy: Priest acquitted, did not sign false work contracts for migrants

Rome: A priest and three migrants have been found not guilty by an Italian court, after they were accused of signing false work contracts. A judge found that the accusations were false. Priest Don Massimo Biancalani is well-known for helping migrants in his parish.

Don Massimo Biancalani was acquitted on Monday (March 3) by a judge in Florence, central Italy. He had been accused of signing false work contracts for migrants.

“The facts did not happen” was the ruling of Florence’s preliminary hearing judge, Antonio Pezzuti. Don Massimo Biancalani, along with three migrants, was cleared of fraud and falsification charges.

The priest, well-known for providing shelter to dozens of migrants at his parish in Vicofaro in the province of Pistoia (Tuscany), had been accused of issuing false work contracts to four foreign nationals (one of whom was tried separately) whom he hosted in the parish in 2019 and 2020.

The Florence prosecutor’s office had claimed that Biancalani had used the false work contracts in legal proceedings before the Florence court to obtain rulings favorable to the migrants’ stay in Italy. The prosecution had sought a trial, but the judge ruled there was no case to proceed, clearing the Vicofaro parish priest of all charges.

“I am happy about the acquittal, but I must say I was never worried because I have great trust in the judiciary, and the facts of the case were clear,” the priest commented after the ruling. “The contracts were real, and they covered services these individuals provided to help me with migrant reception. They were paid about 500 euros per month.”

The case is not entirely closed, as one of the migrants, who has since moved to Ascoli Piceno, has sought regularization in Rome and has appealed to the capital’s court. “It is a parallel and similar case being handled by the preliminary hearing judge in Rome, with a decision expected in mid-March,” explained lawyer Elena Baldi, who is part of Biancalani’s legal team.

“I am also serene about this case because the young man was hired to help me manage the community, so the contract was fully legitimate. The facts are clear since he too worked at Vicofaro in the migrant reception program,” the priest said.