Pentito (; "he who has repented", plural
pentiti) designates people in
Italy who, formerly part of criminal or terrorist organizations, following their arrests decide to "repent" and collaborate with the judicial system to help investigations. The government passed legislation creating the judicial category
pentiti to fight
terrorism in the 1970s, during the "
Years of Lead". Their correct technical name in Italian is
collaboratori di giustizia (
collaborators with justice). In the wake of the
Maxi Trial in 1986-87, and after the testimony of
Tommaso Buscetta, the term was more often used for former members of the
Sicilian Mafia who abandoned their organization and started helping in investigations.