An 81-year-old man, Vincenzo Urbisaglia, took his own life by hanging himself in the prison cell of Potenza, where he had been detained for a few days. The man was accused of the murder of his wife, Rosetta Romano, 73, which occurred in Maschito (PZ) on June 29.
This is the 55th case of suicide of a inmate in Italy in 2024, an alarming figure that prompted the general secretary of the Penitentiary Police Union (SPP), Aldo Di Giacomo, to launch a harsh j'accuse against the prison system and the Government's policies.
Di Giacomo emphasizes the fragile psychological conditions of the man, highlighting the inadequacy of prison as a place of detention in such cases. He compares the situation to that of another prisoner, guilty of road homicide without a license but under house arrest, defining Italy as "a country of contradictions".
The trade unionist denounces the abandonment in which Italian prisons find themselves, defined as “at the worst moment in the history of the Republic”, with a policy incapable of addressing the critical issues of the system. Di Giacomo laments the lack of respect for human life and the inhumane conditions to which both prisoners and prison officers are subjected.
Considering the “prison as usual” decree of the Council of Ministers completely ineffective, Di Giacomo predicts a summer of “riots, mass escapes and broken lives”, defining the suicide of Potenza as the response to a useless measure.
The union calls for the immediate resignation of Minister Nordio and Undersecretary Del Mastro, hoping for concrete solutions for Italian prisons.
Article published on 8 July 2024 - 13:23
