Oh, he eventually died

This is a sad and bitter story. It is sad because things like these should not happen anymore; it is bitter as well if compared to the ideal of Italy as a leading country in progress, lifestyle, social matters; our concern about human rights in Burma, China and anywhere else is remakably high! But what about home then?

The night between 15 and 16 October a 31-year-old chap, Stefano Cucchi, is arrested in a park in Rome: he is found carrying 20g of hashish. Brought to the police station first and then to jail (charged for drug dealing), he eventually ends dead in a hospital bed just a week later.

What really happened during those few days is still obscure but, nontheless, dodgy. Photographs taken at Cucchi's arrival in jail show him in a bad shape, with bruises, cuts and red signs all over his face. It is said he could barely talk and was clearly limping. Spokesmen from the police assured that the bloke was already like that when arrested, and no one touched him.

Later investigations found out that Cucchi was at the gym the same day of his arrest, at 7pm, therefore in a healthy state, as confirmed by the gym owner.
An illegal immigrant, inmate of Cucchi, said to have seen the guards badly beating the boy, repeatedly "slapping and kicking him".

A few days ago, 6 people were charged for beatings: 3 jailguards and 3 doctors, for complicity in covering the crime.

What scares me most in all this mess is the political attitude that followed. Ignazio La Russa, minister for Defence, just after the news of the death came out, commented it assuring "the absolutely correct behaviour of the police forces in this occasion." Senator Carlo Giovanardi did even worse, saying that "Cucchi died because he was a drug addict."

At the time of these declarations, no investigations had begun yet. Nonetheless, they did not think twice in taking a completely arbitrary stand (unsupported by anything) against a man who died in an Italian jail, under the State responsibility, almost blaming him for his own death.

Folks, be ware of this, for next time it might be your turn.