The regional law, signed by councilor Antonio Tutolo, has passed the scrutiny of the Constitutional Court, which imposes on RSAs and other private social-health and social-welfare facilities, of a residential, semi-residential or daytime nature, which host the elderly and people with disabilities, to independently install CCTV cameras. These structures must communicate the installation to the local health authorities, under penalty of automatic revocation of institutional accreditation and authorizations to carry out the activity.
The legislative measure was approved unanimously by the Council in May 2023, and has now also overcome the questions of unconstitutionality raised by the Council of Ministers, which had challenged law 13 “as certain provisions invade the legislative competence of the State on the matter of civil law, violating article 117, first and second paragraphs, letter l), of the Constitution”.
Therefore, in compliance with the “provisions to prevent and combat mistreatment or abuse, including of a psychological nature, to the detriment of the elderly and people with disabilities”, the installation of video surveillance systems becomes mandatory.
“From today everyone, the elderly, the disabled, their families, but also the operators of the facilities and all of us Apulian citizens can feel more relaxed – announces Antonio Tutolo -. Cameras are mandatory. The ruling is clear: not only has regional competence in the matter been recognised, a point which had been contested, but cameras can be installed. Reference to privacy and data retention regulations, another issue analyzed, will be amended as directed.”
“I am therefore satisfied, because I was right from the beginning. I remember well that in the Council I was asked to withdraw this law to protect vulnerable subjects, as it was considered unconstitutional, but I held firm and didn’t do it. I was right about everything and I thank my colleagues who believed in my bill and approved it unanimously. Apulian politics – adds Tutolo – was able to intervene on an urgent and delicate issue to guarantee tranquility, safety and serenity to patients, their families and the workers themselves who, in the vast majority of cases, are respectable people dedicated to their patients”.
“In particular – concludes the councilor – the law establishes that private structures independently install closed-circuit cameras and communicate this to the local health authorities in the case of social-health and social-welfare structures. Furthermore, it provides for compulsory initial and ongoing training of the staff working in the structures aimed, in particular, at learning the practices and techniques of empathic relationships according to the best practices developed in the various realities operating in the area. I believe that now other Italian regions will also be able to benefit from the Apulian law.”
