Angelina Napolitano
Angelina Napolitano (March 12, 1882 – September 4, 1932) was an immigrant to Canada who murdered her abusive husband in 1911, igniting a public debate about domestic violence and the death penalty. She was the first woman in Canada to use the battered woman defense on a murder charge and brought domestic abuse to national awareness.
Angelina Napolitano | |
|---|---|
Murder defendant Angelina Napolitano as she appeared in the press at the time of her 1911 trial | |
| Born | March 12, 1882 near Naples, Italy |
| Died | September 4, 1932 (aged 50) |
| Occupation | Homemaker |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death; commuted to life imprisonment |
Date apprehended | April 16, 1911 |
Napolitano was found guilty, and although the jury recommended clemency, she was sentenced to death, which led to a flood of petitions asking to have her life spared. After an international outcry, however, the Canadian federal cabinet eventually commuted her sentence to life imprisonment. She served 11 years before being paroled.
In 2005, the story of Napolitano's marriage and dramatic trial was turned into an award-winning independent film, Looking for Angelina.