HIBAPRESS – Abdelatif Elbaz
The Public Prosecutor of the Republic in Verona, northeastern Italy, has referred 12 police officers to trial on the basis of events dating back to 2022, suspected of involving acts of violence and torture inside the security directorate headquarters (Questura).
Four officers face charges of torture, after being accused of causing "severe suffering" to two detainees in two separate incidents between the summer and autumn of 2022, while eight others are being tried on charges related to abstaining from performing official duties, failing to report crimes, forgery, and embezzlement of public funds. The court is also considering a parallel lawsuit against two additional elements suspected of being involved in similar events. According to the prosecution file, the alleged assaults included beatings, insults, and excessive use of pepper spray, in addition to degrading practices against detainees, most of whom were from vulnerable groups, including homeless foreigners and drug users. The investigations had included 18 suspects in their first phase, and in 2023 led to the arrest of five people. This case comes in the context of an ongoing political debate about the crime of torture included in the Italian penal code since 2017, amid calls within the ruling coalition to reconsider the legal text, and European calls to ensure that any potential amendments comply with the standards set forth in the European Convention on Human Rights.
