The Court of Appeal of the State of Vatican City has ordered the full repetition of the trial against Cardinal Angelo Becciu and other individuals involved in the London building case—the well-known 60 Sloane Avenue—after declaring the entire procedure null due to serious procedural errors.
The decision, previewed by Corriere della Sera , implies the annulment of the convictions handed down in December 2023 and requires restarting the trial from its initial phase, constituting one of the greatest judicial setbacks in the recent history of the Vatican.
The court has upheld the appeals from the defenses, which denounced irregularities from the start of the procedure, particularly in the direct summons to trial and in the management of documentation. However, the ruling does not limit itself to pointing out specific defects but invalidates the entire chain of actions, including key resolutions adopted since 2022 and the conviction itself.
Among the most relevant aspects, the court points out deficiencies in full access to the evidence and problems in the formation of the file, which would have compromised the right to defense of the accused.
The decision thus renders ineffective the convictions handed down in the first instance, which affected several of the individuals involved, including Cardinal Becciu, convicted of embezzlement, and others accused of crimes such as fraud, extortion, or money laundering.
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