Autistic child beaten in Scampia, the Guarantor: "An inhumane episode."

"These incidents should be condemned because they are inhumane." This is the comment of Giovanni Galano, the Campania Region's Children's and Adolescents' Ombudsman, regarding the case of the autistic child who was allegedly beaten by a support worker at a school in Scampia, Naples.

The matter, which is currently being investigated by the Public Prosecutor's Office and law enforcement, is, according to Galano, even more serious due to the role of the person to whom the minor was entrusted. "Families entrust their children to schools," the Guarantor emphasizes, reiterating the need for monitoring and vigilance regarding school personnel.

Galano expressed confidence in the investigators' work: "I am certain that the Prosecutor's Office and law enforcement will ascertain the facts, and if they are confirmed, the sentences must be exemplary."

The Guarantor also recounts his experience during visits to schools: "I often go to schools," Galano says, "and I always urge school principals to listen to and observe the staff. If they show problems and/or dissatisfaction, they should be replaced."

Attention, however, must also be paid to the students and any possible signs of distress. "Just as I urge them to observe the children, because even a drawing or a persistently sad look can be indicators of distress," she adds.

The case thus refocuses attention on the protection of minors with disabilities within schools and the need to promptly identify and address any potential hardship.