The defendants in the Noli me tollere nursing home case in Sorso have been sent for trial. This morning in the Sassari courthouse, preliminary hearing judge Gian Paolo Piana ordered an in-depth investigation, as requested by prosecutor Ermanno Cattaneo, adjourning the case to the Assize Court on March 17, 2026.
Among the most prominent positions are those of Maria Franca Lupino, the facility's director, and Emanuela Gaspa, an employee, accused of elder abuse. The charges also include abandonment of an incapacitated person, for Lupino and Martina Angela Pulino, in connection with the death of an elderly woman who was having difficulty eating.
The investigation began two years ago, shortly after the woman's death, with the intervention of the NAS (National Anti-Mafia Unit), who entered the facility to gather evidence and, subsequently, by court order, closed the hospice. The other charges against the defendants also include providing healthcare services without authorization. Noli me tollere was described as a place where residents were mistreated, insulted, and kept in unsanitary conditions. Furthermore, according to the prosecution, they had no hot water and no heating in the winter or air conditioning in the summer.
The other individuals indicted are Irene Tanca, represented by Sergio Porcu, and Gianmario Fois, the latter also representing Lupino and Gaspa. Tanca, along with Lupino, is accused of violating the Consolidated Health Act for keeping the facility open by providing healthcare services without authorization. Martina Angela Pulino and Francesca Navarre, represented by Anna Laura Vargiu and Vincenzina Oggiano, and Giuliana Catta and Patrizia Carta, represented by Agostinangelo Marras, are also indicted. Catta, Lupino, Gaspa, and Pulino are accused of practicing nursing without authorization.