Child Torture in Italy

There is documented evidence in at least one case that certain state employees tortured a child witness to solicit information, and there are several reasons to think that this is not a unique case but merely one instance of a pattern of conduct that has been going on for years in other cases as well. A preliminary judge had the evidence of child torture right in his hands but evidently he didn’t even see it, which indicates he sees similar cases so often he has become blind to the torture of children.

Another reason to believe there is a pattern of horrendous misconduct is that the videos of several interrogations of children were edited (cut) after the interrogations were over, obviously to hide the worst moments of degrading and inhuman treatment. Some of those videos were also hidden from the court records for more than a year. Nobody noticed that either.

Despite the clear judgment of the European Court of Human Rights that torture is NEVER justified, not even of adults, and not even to solicit information regarding very serious matters like organized crime or terrorism, child torture is being tolerated in Italy not only by the state perpetrators who do it, but also by some judges.

Despite 18 recorded threats against one child, the preliminary judge responded to the child’s attempt to recant by declaring angrily “I don’t believe anybody threatened you!” The preliminary judge in this documented case risks being accused himself of covering up the torture, or at least gross incompetence for failing to recognize it and do something about it.