Rosario Livatino

Judge Rosario Angelo Livatino, was an italian magistrate, born in Canicattì, in the island of Sicily (Italy), in October 3 1952.

He was killed by the Stidda (a criminal organization competitor to the Mafia) in Agrigento (Sicily), in September 21 1990.

Biography

After obtaining a high school title (maturità classica), in the liceo classico Ugo Foscolo, he entered in 1971 to the Justice faculty in Palermo, where he got his degree in 1975 with a 110 plus Laude. Between 1977 and 1978 he serviced as vicedirector in the Register Office in Agrigento. Always in 1978, after arriving between the first classificated in the Judiciary Uditor concourse, he got a position in the magistratura in Caltanissetta's Court.

In 1979 he became "sostituto procuratore" in the Agrigento Court, role covered until 1989, when he was nominated side-judge (giudice a latere). He was murdered in September 21 of 1990, along the road SS 640, when he was travelling, without any body guard, to the Court Hall, by four killers, who were paid by the "Stidda" of Agrigento, a criminal organization somewhat in contrast and/or cooperation with the most famous Cosa Nostra.

During his activity, Livatino took in his hands the affair of "Tangentopoli siciliana" (The circuit of politician corruption and state works, that implied an enormous amount of money), and he managed to inflict a great damage to mafia affairs, with many mob arrested and the seizure of big mafia propierties as mansions and lands.

Beatification process

In 1993 the Bishop of Agrigento gave to his former teacher, Ida Abate, the task to collect any available testimony for Rosario Livatino's beatification. There is a person, Elena Valdetara, who claims herself as being cured from a severe form of leukemia, thanks to the miraculous intervention of the judge, who appeared her in a dream, dressed in priestly robes, asking her to find in herself the force in order to defeat the disease.

Pope John Paul II said that Rosario Livatino was a "Martyr of Justice and in an indirect way, of the Christian Faith".

Judge Livatino in popular culture

* His role was remembered in the film "Il giudice ragazzino" (the boy-judge), directed in 1994 by Alessandro Di Robilant.
* "Il giudice ragazzino" book published in 1992, by Nando Dalla Chiesa.

Conferences given by judge Livatino

* [http://www.solfano.it/canicatti/Ruolo_Giudice.html "Il ruolo del giudice nella società che cambia"] , conferenza tenuta il 7 aprile 1984 presso il Rotary Club di Canicattì.
* [http://www.solfano.it/canicatti/fedeediritto.htm "Fede e diritto"] , conferenza tenuta il 30 aprile 1986 a Canicattì, nel salone delle suore vocazioniste.

External links

* [http://www.livatino.it/ Associazione Livatino]
* [http://rosariolivatino.splinder.com/ Rosario Livatino - Il giudice ragazzino -]
* [http://www.solfano.it/canicatti/livatino_saetta.html I giudici R. Livatino e A. Saetta ]