Nearly a year after the landslide that devastated the Talancio hamlet of San Felice a Cancello, the investigation by the Santa Maria Capua Vetere Public Prosecutor's Office has been enriched with a new chapter.
Former mayor Giovanni Ferrara, under investigation for the deaths of Giuseppe Guadagnino (42) and his mother Agnese Milanese (77), has requested to be questioned by the magistrates in charge of the investigation, prosecutors Maria Alessandra Pinto and Iolanda Gaudino. The decision comes at a crucial time to shed light on those responsible for one of the most dramatic episodes in local news.
The accusation: "A tragedy foretold by negligence"
The core of the investigation revolves around the state of neglect of the Vallone Sant'Egidio reservoir. According to the Prosecutor's Office's reconstruction, the hydraulic structure was severely hampered in its functioning by years of neglect.
Debris and waste accumulated over time would have drastically reduced the reservoir's storage capacity, making it inadequate to handle a severe weather event.
When heavy rain began to fall on August 27, 2024, the reservoir filled in moments. The waters, unable to find an outlet, overflowed, transforming into a violent mudflow that swept across the valley.
Giuseppe and Agnese were swept away, and their bodies were found lifeless, with signs of impact against rigid structures and their airways invaded by water and debris. For prosecutors, the causal link is clear: the lack of maintenance was the cause of the tragedy, and the mayor pro tempore, in collusion with others, negligently failed to take action to prevent it.
The defense: the prosecution's version of events
Months later, the former mayor, now an accountant and former candidate for the Campania Regional Council, has decided to break his procedural silence. Represented by lawyer Vittorio Fucci, Ferrara has officially requested a hearing before the investigating magistrates.
The goal is clear: to provide his reconstruction of the facts and his actions during his mandate, to rebut the charges leveled against him point by point. The interrogation, which will take place in the coming days in the courtroom of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, represents a key step for the defense, which aims to demonstrate their client's innocence in the alleged responsibilities, painting a different picture of his responsibilities and actions at the time of the events.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
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