Prosecutors seek 24 years for suspects in murder of Italian chef’s son
ISTANBUL
Prosecutors in Istanbul have requested prison sentences ranging from 18 to 24 years for two teenage suspects accused of fatally stabbing 15-year-old Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi, the son of an Italian restaurant chef, in the Kadıköy district.
The indictment, prepared by the Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, details the events that led to the attack on Jan. 24.
According to the indictment, Minguzzi was walking through the historic Tuesday Market in Kadıköy with his friends when they encountered two 15-year-old suspects, identified as U.B. and B.B.
A verbal exchange took place, during which B.B. allegedly pushed Minguzzi. Shortly after, they crossed paths again, and B.B. reportedly punched him before drawing a knife and stabbing him multiple times. U.B. is accused of kicking Minguzzi after he fell to the ground.
Witnesses intervened, and the suspects fled the scene, while Minguzzi was rushed to the hospital. Despite receiving medical attention, he succumbed to his injuries 17 days later.
The indictment includes testimony from D.A.D., a friend of Minguzzi, who described how the confrontation began.
He stated that someone in the other group made a remark about a “bicycle gang,” to which Minguzzi responded that they had a skateboard, not a bicycle.
The exchange escalated into a verbal dispute, which local vendors initially managed to break up. However, as Minguzzi and his friends were leaving the market, the suspects returned and attacked him, with one suspect repeatedly stabbing him while the other assaulted him.
In their statements, suspect U.B. admitted to kicking Minguzzi but denied using a knife, stating that he saw B.B. stab the victim five or six times.
Meanwhile, B.B. alleged that he acted under provocation, claiming that Minguzzi had insulted his mother and sister, which led him to attack.
The indictment charges both suspects with “intentional homocide” and requests between 18 to 24 years in prison for each.
