«Today the soldiers of the Carabinieri Company of Latina they executed the precautionary custody order issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Latina, which ordered the prison custody measure against the owner of the company for which the victim worked – Antonello Lovato, whose name has already been made public by the media – for the crime of wilful homicide against the worker Singh Satnam”.
Thus the Latina Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the breakthrough in the investigation into the death of Satnam Singh, the Indian laborer who died after a dramatic accident at work in which he lost an arm and after being abandoned in front of his home instead of being taken to hospital.
Gangmastering in the countryside of Abruzzo, after the case of Satnam Singh the first complaints are filed
«Based on the findings of the forensic medical consultancy, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Latina has changed the crime hypothesis initially configured (culpable homicide) and has contested the crime of wilful homicide with eventual intent» explains the head of the magistrates of via Ezio, the prosecutor Giuseppe De Falco.
«The medical-legal consultancy has ascertained that if the Indian, who died from copious blood loss, had been promptly assisted, he would most likely have been saved».
The tragedy of Satnam Singh has shocked public opinion and mobilized the trade unions that protect farm workers. “The worker’s conditions after the accident were so serious that it was clear that he needed prompt assistance,” the Prosecutor’s Office explains. “At this stage, it must therefore be considered that the decision to fail to provide the necessary assistance constituted acceptance of the risk of the lethal event and constituted the cause that directly determined the death.”
But the case is not closed. “The investigations – explains the note – continue with reference to the crime in question and other related crimes, with specific regard to the verification of working conditions. It is worth pointing out that, since the proceedings are in the preliminary investigation phase, the presumption of innocence of the person under investigation must be safeguarded”.
INHUMAN CONDUCT
“Regardless of ethical considerations (irrelevant to criminal law) that would also be required in the face of inhuman conduct that is detrimental to the most basic values of solidarity, it cannot be ignored that the suspect has intentionally and voluntarily ignored the probable consequences of his actions.” This is what the investigating judge of Latina, Giuseppe Molfese, wrote in the precautionary order against Antonello Lovato, owner of the agricultural company where Singh Satnam worked.
THE WIFE
The investigation documents reveal the detailed reconstruction provided by the victim’s wife, 26-year-old Soni: “Suddenly I heard Lovato scream and at the same time I saw my husband lying on the ground, crouched down near the machine. I understood in that moment that my husband had been dragged inside the plastic wrapper and then thrown to the ground. In the immediate aftermath, Antonello Lovato was screaming the words “he’s dead, he’s dead” while my husband was on the ground with his right upper limb severed.” «Lovato loaded my husband into the van, placing the severed arm in a plastic box, and then drove us home to Via Genova. In the van I continued to stand next to my husband screaming for help, then we got home and he dumped my husband in the yard while I continued to scream in desperation, asking for help.».
Judge Giuseppe Molfese emphasizes the coherence of the witness’s reconstruction of the facts, highlighting how Lovato acted with extreme haste, freeing himself of the body of the injured man, his limb and “what more generally had become a problem, no longer his”. The subsequent escape from the house in via genova, in Cisterna di Latina, is also confirmed by other witnesses.
LOVATO CLEAR AND AWARE
According to the judge, Lovato’s behavior appeared «lucid and intent on concealing what happened, at all costs»The investigation is still in full swing and, according to the investigating judge, Lovato must be removed from his context also to be able to listen to other witnesses without the risk of intimidation and behavior tainted by the climate of subjection in which the workers of the Indian community and not only find themselves.
For the Latina court, it is quite clear that the defendant did not want the death of his Indian laborer, but due to his conduct and clear operating methods (disavowed only by his statements, according to which he would have acted in the terms described because he was in shock) – it is stated in the order – he reasonably foresaw the probable death of Satnam, consciously accepting the risk”. The conditions of the laborer “in a semi-conscious state, with an amputated arm and copious blood loss, make, for anyone’s assessment, the fatal event inevitable, especially in the absence of prompt medical intervention.” The behaviors following the abandonment of the body “argue and unequivocally characterize the homicidal conduct – writes the GIO -, precisely in the descriptive terms of eventual intent”. The suspect failed to call for help, “fled with the van, proceeded to clean up the blood: the main purpose of the suspect was clearly to conceal what had happened, on the other hand, one of his workers, illegal on the national territory, without a contract, without accident prevention protection and using uncertified work equipment, had amputated an arm, was losing copious blood and had suffered other serious injuries”. In order “to hide and conceal the reality, with intentional conduct, he put in place all the precautions described, even at the cost of concretizing the fatal event that, progressively, was placed before him”, adds the investigating judge.
MUNICIPALITY CIVIL PARTY
“On behalf of the community I represent, I thank the judiciary and the police for their commitment and their incessant work aimed at shedding light on the death of Satnam Singh.” These are the statements of the mayor of Latina, Matilde Celentano, after the news of the arrest of the businessman accused of the death of Satnam Singh. “From what I learn from the press, the medical-legal consultancy has ascertained that, if he had been promptly rescued, he would most likely have been saved. It is for this reason, the same one that has deeply touched all the citizens of Latina, that I renew the commitment of the municipal administration to closely follow the developments of this affair and to collaborate with the competent authorities. As mayor, I am aware of the importance of ensuring safety and justice for all citizens and of the need to network so that the rights of all workers are always respected. This is why I accepted the request that I received in recent days from the entire City Council to promote, where the conditions exist, the constitution of the Municipality of Latina as a civil party in the future legal proceedings against Satnam Singh’s employer. I will do the same in other legal proceedings for gangmastering”.
PANIC
«I didn’t call the ambulance because his wife said to take him home and that’s why I loaded him into the family van and with his wife, panickedI took it home, where I knew they had already called the ambulance. After arriving home and making sure they had called the ambulance, I panicked and left.” This is what Antonello Lovato, interviewed at summary information and therefore before being registered as a suspect, states, providing his version to the investigators on what happened on June 17 in Cisterna di Latina. The investigators ask Lovato why he decided to wash the van after the dramatic transport. “I washed it, no one intervened, I did it all by myself. I washed it because there was blood and I was and still am in shock. He was not regularly employed, I called him when needed,” adds Lovato. What Antonello Lovato did, “considered as a whole, leads one to presume that he wanted to cover up what had happened to avoid the conditions of irregularity and exploitation in which the worker found himself, as well as the very serious situation of irregularity of the company in terms of safety and health at work”. This is what the prosecutors of Latina wrote.
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