The well-known influencer Chiara Ferragni was found innocent by the Italian judiciary with regard to the fraud charges she had been facing.
The case concerned her involvement in an advertising campaign for the traditional Italian dessert Pandoro and the Easter eggs Dolci Preziosi, which had been presented as products linked to charitable initiatives.
Specifically, during the preliminary hearing, the prosecution argued that the promotional campaigns for these products between 2021 and 2022, carried out through the influencer’s company, were presented as being connected to two separate charitable initiatives, without this fully corresponding to reality.
Ferragni had consistently stated that she did not have detailed information about the final destination of the funds involved and had already paid more than three million euros in compensation.
The judges ruled that the case did not constitute aggravated fraud against consumers who purchase products online. At the same time, the Italian consumer association Codacons had withdrawn the lawsuit it had filed a year earlier, following Ferragni’s decision to pay compensation.
Under a recent reform of the Italian justice system, the offence of fraud without aggravating circumstances is not subject to prosecution ex officio.
“I’m happy that I can take my life back into my own hands; a nightmare is over,” Ferragni said. “I thank my lawyers and everyone who follows me online, who supported me for two years until this point.”
In the same case, Ferragni’s former right-hand man Fabio Damato and the president of Cerealitalia, Francesco Canillo, were also acquitted.
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