Violence in prison, PM experts: “Hakimi Lamine died from asphyxiation”

The death of Hakimi Lamina, prisoner died on 4 May 2020 in the prison of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, would not have been caused by the beatings suffered during the extraordinary search of the 6th April, but rather from achemical asphyxia due to concomitant drug intake.

This is what emerged in the last hearing of the maxi-trial currently underway in the bunker courtroom of the Caserta prison, which sees 105 defendants, between penitentiary police officers, officials of the Department of Penitentiary Administration and doctors of the ASL. This new perspective was revealed by the technical consultants of the Prosecutor of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, the coroner Luke Lepore and the pharmacologist Vito De Novellis, who conducted the autopsy on Hakimi's body in May 2020.

According to the experts, the death was caused by aintoxication due to the concomitant use of benzodiazepines, opiates, neuroleptics and antiepileptics, a combination of drugs that the inmate took regularly for drug-related problems.

“The autopsy – Lepore explained in the classroom – showed no lethal trauma, but only onecheekbone bruise, compatible with convulsions due to asphyxia and some injuries attributable to previous acts of self-harm". Pharmacologist De Novellis also confirmed that the concentration of active ingredients found in Hakimi's body was “compatible with regular intake according to the prescribed therapy”.

A thesis in contrast with the accusations of the Prosecutor's Office

The statements of the experts call into question the accusatory system of the Prosecutor of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, who had hypothesized a direct link between Hakimi's death and the alleged torture suffered during the search on April 6, an event that led to the indictment of twelve defendants on charges of death as a result of torture.

The hearing represents a turning point in the trial, which will now have to establish whether the death of Hakimi Lamine can be considered a direct consequence of the violence suffered, as claimed by the prosecution, or if instead the cause of death is to be attributed exclusively to theuse of drugs, as indicated by the consultants of the Prosecutor's Office.