Alessandro Serenelli

Alessandro Serenelli was an Italian murderer, who in 1902 attempted to seduce an eleven-year-old girl named Maria Goretti. Not succeeding, he attempted to rape her, and failing in that, he stabbed her 14 times, mortally wounding her. While serving 27 years in prison for his crime, he reported seeing a vision of his victim in which she repeated to him how she had forgiven him on her death bed. From this point he was converted and became a model prisoner. Upon his release, he worked as a gardener and porter in a convent of Capuchin friars in the Marche. Goretti was later proclaimed a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.