DELAZIONE. — The manifestation of a person’s actions to another, with the aim of arousing or fostering in the latter feelings of hatred and vengeance against the former. Thus, delazione is inspired by hatred or personal interest on the part of the informer; it seeks to instill hatred against the denounced person and often to harm their good name or property; it employs all means, even the most vile, such as slander, calumny, and the violation of secrets that ought instead to be respected. This is quite different from denuncia.
The morality of delazione is deduced from the general principles of morality. Because it always seeks and is often inspired by hatred, delazione is always a fault against charity and generally a grave fault, since it wounds the soul of one’s neighbor with serious displeasure. It is almost always also a fault against the virtue of justice, both because of the unjust means it employs and because of the harm it directly inflicts or indirectly causes. Where injustice occurs, in addition to the moral illicit, there arises the obligation to make reparation for the damages. The gravity of these damages measures the gravity of the injustice and the corresponding obligation of reparation.
Anonymous delazioni should never be given consideration; yet this does not absolve the informer of moral responsibility. At least by reason of cooperation, these responsibilities are shared by whoever accepts the delazione, in addition to any other responsibilities they may incur through their own actions.