Rome
Rome: January 16, 1979-November 15, 1991

On January 16, 1979, Italian police raided Family communities in Rome. This resulted in charges being filed against several Family members. The Family's founder, David Brandt Berg (1919-1994), was also charged, even though he was not in Italy at that time. The authorities considered him culpable by virtue of his position as founder of the Family. The case was eventually tried in his absence.
In a final verdict delivered on November 15, 1991, magistrates Ricardo Morra, Claudio Cavallo, and M. Teresa Mirra of the Criminal Court of Rome acquitted David Berg and all other defendants.

Mr. David Berg, having been accused of the offense under article 416, paragraph 3 and last paragraph of the Penal Code for having promoted, set up and organized together with others and behind the screen of a sect named "The Children of God," a national and international criminal association having the aim of committing such offenses as aiding and abetting prostitution, fraud and the production, commerce and distribution of obscene publications.

The court pointed out that no certain evidence had been provided proving that the accused were actually members of a criminal organization with the aim of committing the offenses specified in the counts of indictment. There is absolutely no evidence that some of the accused may have entered the community with the intention of aiding and abetting prostitution or with the intention of trading and distributing obscene publications or with the intention of committing fraudian offense of which no trace, as yet, has been found.

Therefore, for the foregoing reasons and in consideration of article 479 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (1930), this court hereby decides the acquittal of Mr. David Berg [and the other defendants].¹

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Footnotes:
¹ Tribunale Penale di Roma (Criminal Court of Rome), In "re: Berg and others," archives of the Criminal Court of Rome (RG 3841/84), November 15, 1991.