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C1⚖️ Law & Politics

Italian word

querela

a criminal complaint filed by a victim to trigger prosecution

Looks like

quarrel

an argument or dispute

⚠️ The trap

'Querela' looks and sounds like 'quarrel' but is a formal legal act — the victim's complaint that activates criminal prosecution for certain crimes. In Italy, some crimes are only prosecuted if the victim files a 'querela'. This is a completely different concept from a quarrel.

To say "an argument or dispute" in Italian:

querela

"querela" in English means:

a criminal complaint filed by a victim to trigger prosecution

Example

"Ha sporto querela per minacce."

"She filed a criminal complaint for threats."

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