Non-EU psychiatric prisoner attacks prison officers in Benevento prison

This morning, in the Benevento prison, a thirty-year-old psychiatric inmate of non-EU origin destroyed his cell and attacked three prison police officers, one of whom was bitten on the arm. Two of the injured officers had to seek hospital treatment, receiving prognoses of 10 and 20 days respectively.

According to the regional secretary of CON.SI.PE. Campania, Thomas De Lia, and his deputy, Razzano Pina, the critical episodes within the Benevento prison are now the order of the day. Talking about security, they say, becomes a utopia in a context characterized by a lack of personnel and adequate tools, despite the efforts of the prison director, Dr. G. Marcello, who has adopted various treatment measures, evidently insufficient to prevent similar episodes.

The vice-president of CON.SI.PE., Louis Castaldo, and the union leader, Vincenzo Santoriello, emphasize that ensuring the institutional mandate in this penitentiary system is now an extraordinary undertaking. They describe a critical situation for the Penitentiary Police Corps, forced to deal with episodes of unprecedented violence against men and women of the State. To make matters worse, they add, there is the risk of also being subjected to instrumentalized media judgments, which can transform the agents from "angels of justice" into alleged torturers.

The union representatives of CON.SI.PE. express full solidarity and closeness to the three attacked officers, wishing them a speedy recovery. For Castaldo and Santoriello, the time has come to equip the Penitentiary Police Corps with defense tools such as tasers and paintballs, which can prevent fights and protect personnel from violent attacks.