Maltreatment in the asylum, the request from the prosecutor’s office is awaited

Copparo. The last witnesses of the trial which sees a 55-year-old teacher on trial accused of mistreatment inside a silo in Copparese have appeared in court. The professional had been acquitted in March 2018 in a previous proceeding on charges of abuse of correctional facilities.

The subsequent appeal changed the charge to mistreatment and returned the documents to the Este prosecutor’s office to give the green light to a new trial. So it was and now the accused, defended by the lawyer David Zanforlini, must defend herself from an even more serious accusation.

The complaints speak of episodes dating back to 2012-2013, when some children were allegedly pinched, dragged on the floor, lifted by the wrists or arms, or hit with spoons on the gums to be forced to eat.

The investigation arose from the complaint made by an auxiliary to the head of the Municipality of Copparo who in turn notified the school director, who proceeded to suspend the teacher, transferring her to another job, in the library.

The families of the children who were allegedly mistreated are acting as civil parties through the lawyers Stefano Scafidi and Elisabetta Brandi. The Municipality of Copparo is present at the trial in a dual capacity: as the offended party acting as a civil party (assisted by the lawyer Gianni Ricciuti) and as civilly liable (in this case assisted by the lawyer Vittorio Zappaterra)

Yesterday (Tuesday 18 June) two former colleagues of the accused were heard, whose versions did not perfectly match each other. It was then the turn of one of the carabinieri who carried out the investigations, who however did not remember the original source of the report from which the proceedings against the teacher had started.

The judge adjourned the parties to October for discussion.

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