Roman Catholic priest Gratien Alab received a 27 year prison sentence on October 24 for the presumed murder of Guerrina Piscaglia, who disappeared from the Apennine mountain village of Ca’ Rafaello in the province of Arezzo. The court decision arrived on what would have been Piscaglia’s 52nd birthday. The woman has been missing since May 1, 2014, when she left her home on her way to the parish rectory where Father Gratien resided.
According to town gossip, Piscaglia was in a relationship with Father Gratien, originally from the Republic of Congo, and it has been ascertained that they exchanged numerous phone calls and text messages. After the sentence was read, Piscaglia’s husband, Mirko Alessandri, said, “now he must tell us where her body is buried.”
Father Gratien’s lawyers are planning to appeal the verdict. To read more in Italian, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.