In May 2014 the Sicilian man was acquitted by the Court of Appeal in Palermo for mistreating his wife, after the court found that the couple led a "life characterized by animosity," and that the defendant had a lack of awareness that his behavior "caused his wife mental and moral disturbance."
The man allegedly suffers from "morbid jealousy," according to which the sufferer believes, without any factual evidence, that his or her spouse or partner is being unfaithful.
According to the details of the court case, the man's unreasonable behavior included continuous allegations that his wife was cheating, constantly checking his wife's phone correspondence, imposing a curfew at home, and asking for their daughter to undergo a DNA test.
This week, Italy's Supreme Court ruled that the man's behavior caused his wife "significant limitations and constraints in her daily life and choices, as well as an intolerable state of anxiety," and as such amounted to the crime of "psychological harassment," punishable by article of 572 of the Penal Code. The case will return to court in another hearing.
In turn, however, the modern-day Othello has countered his estranged wife's claim, alleging avarice worthy of Macbeth: according to his defense, his wife's complaint came only after he had billed his in-laws for the non-payment of €300,000 [$342,000] in unpaid wages owed to him, as an employee of their company.
