Magistrate attacked with a fork in prison in Terni
Magistrate attacked – In Umbrian prisons, violence is becoming a worrying constant. A recent incident saw a magistrate as the target of an attempted assault during an interrogation. The attacker was an Italian prisoner at the Terni penitentiary institute. Thanks to the timely intervention of the Penitentiary Police staff, the consequences of the attack, carried out with the sharp handle of a plastic fork hidden between the inmate’s fingers, were avoided.
In recent years, cases of violence in Umbrian prisons have been increasing. In 2022, 99 cases of assaults between prisoners were reported, 28 against Penitentiary Police staff and one against prison workers. In 2023, these figures underwent a drastic increase: attacks between prisoners rose to 124, 69 against Penitentiary Police personnel and three against prison workers. The data for 2024 are even more alarming, with 45 assaults between prisoners and 28 against Penitentiary Police staff recorded in the first quarter alone.
Added to these numbers are suicide attempts and suicides among prisoners. As of 2022, there have been 25 suicide attempts and three suicides. In 2023, these numbers have increased to 36 suicide attempts and three suicides. In the first quarter of 2024, 23 suicide attempts and one suicide have already occurred.
The forced coexistence between prisoners with mental health problems and other prisoners represents a further element of difficulty. In Umbria, the REMS, the specific healthcare facility intended to accommodate convicts suffering from mental and socially dangerous disorders, has not yet been established.
This situation, which raises great concern, could worsen with the arrival of summer, a period which favors conflict within penitentiary institutions. Added to this is the lack of personnel, both of the Penitentiary Police, which lacks around 200 units in the Umbrian territory, and of the medical staff and the treatment area, equipped with specific skills for the care of prisoners suffering from mental disorders. This situation requires urgent intervention to ensure the safety and well-being of all those who live and work within Umbrian prisons.
