Alessandro Serenelli

Alessandro Serenelli is known for murdering an 11 year old girl, Maria Goretti, during an attempted rape. His young life was marred by tragedy from the very beginning, where his mother died in a psychiatric hospital after trying to drown Alessandro as a newborn.  In addition, one of his brothers committed suicide while studying in a seminary. These family challenges contributed to his tumultuous upbringing.   While working as a longshoreman with his alcoholic father, at the age of 20, Alessandro attempted to sexually assault an 11-year-old Maria Goretti, stabbing her 14 times,for which she did not survive.  Alessandro was then sentenced to 30 years in prison. During his incarceration, he reported experiencing a vision of his victim Maria, in which she expressed forgiveness toward him. After serving 27 years, Alessandro was released from prison. On the night of Christmas 1934, Serenelli begged forgiveness on his knees from Assunta Goretti, Maria's mother. She forgave him and said that she could not refuse him since Maria had already done so on her deathbed.  Maria Goretti, the murder victim, would become a canonized saint in 1950.   Following his release, Alessandro worked as a farm laborer, and was later accepted as a religious brother of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.  He dedicated the remainder of his life to penance and prayer, passing away at the age of 87.  Should a man who committed murder during an attempted rape of an 11 year old saint be forgiven?