Ministry of Defence ordered to compensate Carabinieri officer for mission-related illness

The TAR Sardegna (Regional Administrative Court of Sardinia) has held the Italian Ministry of Defence responsible for a tumor diagnosed in Cesare Salvo, a Carabinieri officer, following his overseas missions. The court ordered the Ministry to pay damages exceeding 260,000 euros.

Salvo, who was diagnosed at age 34 in 2006, served in Kosovo, Ethiopia-Eritrea, and Albania. Technical assessments presented to the court indicated that his service involved exposure to multiple risk factors, including depleted uranium weaponry, heavy metals, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, asbestos, and toxic substances. The court found that the Ministry failed to provide adequate protective equipment or implement necessary preventive measures during these missions.

While the Ministry has contested the causal link between the service conditions and the illness, the court ruled that the evidence was sufficient to establish responsibility. Salvo had previously been recognized as a ‘victim of duty’ and received an indemnity of over 50,000 euros, but this ruling addresses broader damages resulting from the lack of safety protocols.