SANTA MARIA CAPUA VETERE – Yet another very serious episode of violence inside an Italian penitentiary institution. An agent of the Penitentiary Police was brutally attacked yesterday evening in the High Security "Thames" section of the Prison of Santa Maria Capua Vetere.
As reported by the Yes.NAPPe, Penitentiary Police Union, three prisoners they allegedly attacked the policeman, hitting him with a oxygen tank to the face, and then continue to inflict further damage punches. An attack defined as "wild and gratuitous", which raises yet another alarm on the collapse of the prison system.
«An episode of unprecedented gravity – he declared Louis Vargas, Deputy Secretary General of Si.NAPPe – which demonstrates how those who wear a uniform are systematically exposed to unacceptable risks.
It is no longer tolerable. We ask for theimmediate transfer of those responsible for the aggression outside the region and the adoption of extraordinary measures to protect staff».
Along the same lines also the National Secretary Pasquale Gallo, who pointed the finger at the serious structural deficiencies of the penitentiary system: «It is no longer just a question of security, but of dignity. Our agents they enter service with a spirit of sacrifice, but they leave every day more alone and vulnerable. Concrete answers are needed and resolutive actions by the State. Enough words."
The union expressed full solidarity with the injured colleague and his family, stressing that every attack on an agent is an offence to the State itself. Si.NAPPe has made an urgent appeal to thePenitentiary Administration and Ministry of Justice so that the spiral of violence that continues to unfold within the walls of Italian prisons is interrupted.
In the meantime, the injured officer has been treated for medical conditions and tests are underway to assess his condition. Tensions remain high among prison staff, increasingly exposed to serious risks without adequate tools to deal with them.
Article published on 6 April 2025 - 20:45
It is truly alarming what is happening in Italian prisons, every day there are news of violence. The situation does not seem to be improving and the authorities should do more to protect the agents. We need a change now.