Rome, June 12 (IANS/AKI) A man in the Italian island of Sicily has been charged with stabbing to death his ex-girlfriend's teenage sister.
Samuele Caruso has opted for a fast-track trial for the murder of 17-year-old Carmela Petrucci, his former girlfriend Lucia Petrucci's younger sister.
The incident took place in Palermo city in October last year.
Lucia Petrucci was seriously injured in Caruso's frenzied knife attack outside their home in October.
The court is expected to order a a psychiatric examination of Caruso after his lawyers claimed diminished responsibility for their client on mental health grounds.
By choosing a fast-track trial, if he is convicted of murder, Caruso will avoid a life term as his sentence will automatically be cut by one-third.
The victim's family and the city of Palermo are the civil plaintiff in the trial.
--IANS/AKI
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