Benevento – "It's a nightmare. Don't touch the children." These are the words of the mother of two one-and-a-half-year-old twins who, until yesterday, attended the Benevento nursery school that has become the subject of a serious judicial investigation. The woman is one of approximately thirty people gathered outside the facility's entrance after the alleged abuse emerged.
"I found bruises on my children," she says. "The nursery school told me they'd gotten them while crawling. But I kept wondering how that was possible, given that there are rugs on the floor."
The investigation: five teachers investigated for mistreatment
According to what emerged from the investigations by the Carabinieri, coordinated by the Benevento Public Prosecutor's Office, episodes of physical and psychological violence against children aged between 10 months and 3 years occurred within the nursery.
Yesterday, a preliminary investigations judge's order from the Benevento Court was executed, imposing a precautionary measure of residence banishment against five teachers, both lay and religious, accused, on various counts, of complicity in aggravated child abuse. According to the documents, the children were also restrained to their strollers.
“They refuse to wear seatbelts, I fear they too were victims”
The twins' mother describes behaviors that today take on a disturbing significance: "I've noticed that my children refuse to be buckled in their strollers. I'm not sure, but I fear they may have been victims too."
Special thanks go to whoever brought the matter to light: "I know it was an intern who reported it. She never came back. I hope to meet her again to thank her: she wasn't afraid. Without her, we would never have known."
The nuns and the doubt about their responsibilities
The woman clarifies that she has no general suspicions: "My children were happy to attend the nursery school with the nuns, so I don't think the abuse was perpetrated by them." A distinction that also emerges among other parents present outside the facility.
Scarred Children and the Fear of Invisible Traumas
Even those not featured in the videos seized by investigators may have suffered consequences: "I've seen children become aggressive with each other. Even if my children aren't among those filmed in the videos, they will still need help. They saw those scenes."
There were also doubts about their diet: "They told me they ate everything, but once they got home, at 1:30 pm, they ate a full meal. Evidently, they weren't really eating."
“It's a nightmare, we want justice”
The story ends with an appeal shared by all the parents involved: "This is a nightmare. We want justice. Don't touch these children."
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
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