Arrestato

Arrestato is the participle of the Italian verb arrestare and functions as both an adjective and a noun. It denotes a person who has been taken into custody by law enforcement in connection with a suspected crime. The feminine form is arrestata, and the plural forms are arrestati (masculine) and arrestate (feminine).

Etymology and usage: arrestato derives from arrestare, which in turn traces to Latin roots meaning to stop or halt. In everyday and legal language, arrestato is used to describe someone who has been officially deprived of liberty, whether in flagranza di reato (in the act of committing a crime) or following an order by a magistrate. The term appears in news reports and judicial texts to indicate the status of an individual without passing judgment on guilt.

Legal context: In Italian criminal procedure, deprivation of liberty can occur as an arresto (arrest) or as a fermo di polizia (police detention) under different circumstances. An arrested person may be held for a limited period and must be brought before a judge within a prescribed time, typically 48 hours, to validate the arrest and determine next steps. Depending on the case, further preventive measures or detention may be ordered by the court.

Rights and interpretation: The arrested individual has rights such as being informed of the reasons for arrest, having access to legal counsel, and the ability to communicate with a family member. The use of arrestato is factual and does not imply guilt; guilt is determined through the judicial process.