Tension in the Airola juvenile prison where an inmate attempted suicide. The alarm was raised by the Sappe, the autonomous penitentiary police union.
"In the last few hours," denounced Sabatino De Rosa, regional vice-coordinator for Campania for the juvenile sector, "a minor inmate, of Tunisian origin, attempted suicide. As often happens in institutions for minors and adults, it was the promptness, professionalism, and timeliness of the penitentiary police's intervention that once again prevented the worst. Following this, it was necessary to call for the intervention of the 118 emergency services, which transported the minor to the San Pio Hospital in Benevento. But there the officers had to wait about 15 hours for the arrival of the child neuropsychiatrist from distant Foggia because the hospital did not have the specialist available on-site and it was necessary to request one from the neighboring region."
"Recently," continues De Rosa, "the management of foreign inmates in the Sannio institute is out of control. A few weeks ago, a minor Egyptian inmate assaulted two officers who only thanks to the intervention of supporting colleagues did not come off worse. Despite this serious episode, the boy continues to stay in Airola. We also ask that the inmates be subjected to radiographic examination of the wrist and left hand to determine their real age because sometimes the penitentiary police have found themselves managing even over twenty-five-year-olds. We perform grueling shifts, even 12 hours long, just to ensure safety inside the detention institute. For this reason, we reiterate our call for the transfer of foreign inmates who are responsible for violent acts and ask that the Tunisian who attempted suicide be followed up in specialized facilities."
Solidarity with the officers was expressed by the general secretary of Sappe, Donato Capece: "The prison has become like Dante's inferno and this is not acceptable and even less tolerable. We ask, once again, for urgent measures to ensure all the necessary elements to guarantee the safety of the men and women of the penitentiary police."