Disabled and "systematically" abused and tortured, in the wiretapping shock the screams of patients.
Home for the disabled "lager" in Castelbuono, in the Palermo area. The military of the Guardia di Finanza carried out a precautionary custody order against 35 people accused, in various capacities, of torture, ill-treatment, kidnapping, corruption, aggravated fraud for obtaining public funds, embezzlement and fraud. The seizure of the nursing home and financial assets for over € 6.7 million has also been ordered.
The "Sister Rosina la Grua" non-profit organization manages rehabilitation services for 23 patients with severe disabilities under a "continuous cycle" public agreement. Ten suspects were taken to prison, seven were subjected to house arrest, five were subjected to the obligation to stay in the municipality of residence and thirteen are recipients of the interdicting measure of the prohibition on exercising professional activities for one year.
I DUE FILONI - The first line of investigation concerns the administrator and the members of the non-profit organization who, hiding the commercial nature of the entity's activity and thanks to the use of false documentation, would have managed to gain accreditation with the Sicilian Region and make an agreement with the ASP of Palermo, obtaining, in the last five years, public money of 6.2 million. A part of the money, about 470 thousand euros, instead of being used for the needs of patients or reinvested in the adaptation of the site, which would have serious shortcomings, was distracted and used for private purposes such as the settlement of undue payments, purchase of cars, payment for travel and hotel stays, purchase of food and wine products, jewelery and gifts. An official of the Palermo ASP was also accused of corruption, who did not carry out the necessary checks in exchange for hiring his son and daughter-in-law.
The second trend revolves around the mistreatment and violence suffered in recent years by the 23 patients of the structure. For the investigating judge, these are very serious conducts, so much so that the offenses are torture, mistreatment and kidnapping. According to the investigators, all the medical and paramedical personnel in service at the non-profit organization, with the complacency of the property, subjected patients to physical and psychological abuse that caused them serious suffering and humiliation. The staff of the facility, who looked after guests with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities, systematically resorted to punishments such as fasting, or beating, jerking, kicking, slapping, offenses. In several cases, patients were locked up in a room of a few square meters called "relaxation", both during the day and at night, completely empty and without a toilet.
