Transferred Intent in Italian Criminal Law

Abstract

This article examines the rule on transferred intent under Italian criminal law and argues that such rule does not only concern the mental element of the crime (mens rea), as generally considered in both Italian and Anglo-American literature, but also involves a multiple offense scenario in which a willful offense attempted against the intended target coexists with a negligent one actually carried out against an unintended victim. According to the rule on transferred intent, the two offenses should be considered as a single offense for the purpose of sentencing.