I'm not in favor of going completely cynical, and saying that they are all mad buffoons (although there are a few).
I'd rather try to view this as 'inside baseball' to some degree, and a cascade of errors, with a few bad players driving the train.
I think the conflict with Burlesconi absolutely played a role in the rejection of Hellman's acquittal, based on judge Hellman saying it did. Hellman said, as soon as it became political, he knew the acquittal would get overturned.
I blame Girlanda for that. And I doubt Girlanda would do that on his own. I find it very curious that Burlesconi was finally acquitted by cassation last week (you could sense the cessation of hostilities), and Girlanda's party was put under investigation (including Girlanda), and Girlanda's boss resigned.
Rudy Guede got another 1.5 years (?) on his sentence for possession of stolen property, so the murderer of Meredith will be in jail for a bit longer.
I may be way off, Bill W says I'm nuts, but I swear to god, I smell a deal. Renzi doesn't want to be put in the middle, so they cut a deal - the judiciary lets Burlesconi off as a gesture of good faith, but they keep the scalp of Girlanda's boss as the price for threatening them over this case, and they have Girlanda on a short leash if he tries to make trouble after the acquittals.
The kerchers have their daughter's killer still in jail, its something at least, and Italy doesn't have to look like a country of anti-modern medieval barbarians.
Its easier for me to believe, then the comical dysfunctional societal wide looney bin you're suggesting.
But who really knows?
Anyway, that's my guess as to what happened and why. Amanda and Raf were trapped in Mignini's witch hunt, because he needed a girl for his satanic orgy hoax that he had been perpetuating in the Narducci trail, a distraction from his own criminal case, and a misdirection for his failure to prosecute Guede for his earlier crimes.
I could go on. Ok, I will. The judiciary was protecting the MOF convictions of Vanni and Lotti, without affirming the Giuttari/Mignini Monster/MOF satanic sect hoax, and they slowly freed Amanda and Raf after they obligingly spent four years in prison. While the judiciary eased Mignini out of his prosecutor's role, and can't cause anymore trouble in his new role.
Girlanda tries to use the case against the judiciary as part of the battle between the judiciary and Burlesconi's party. And now that battle has subsided, so the full weight of the Italian state TV and media is pumping out non-stop favorable coverage of Raffaele (neutral to Amanda), and discrediting the case against them.
I smell a deal. I see an acquittal coming. Best I can do. So, they're not crazy, just not drawing conclusions based on the evidence, justice is not as big a priority as self-preservation. They're doing the best they can, while living in a moderately corrupt society in the heart of modern europe.
