Casal del Marmo prison guards suspended over torture allegations

Three prison guards at the Casal del Marmo juvenile detention center in Rome have been suspended for one year following an investigation into allegations of torture and violence against minors. The judicial measure, ordered by a judge for preliminary investigations, follows testimonies from twelve foreign detainees, primarily Egyptian nationals aged between 15 and 19.

The investigation involves ten agents in total: two are under investigation for torture, five for injury, and three for falsifying public documents. Victims described a climate of fear, including physical assaults, threats, and humiliations. One specific testimony detailed an incident where a minor was stripped and threatened with scissors, resulting in physical injury.

Human rights organization Antigone and the Department for Juvenile Justice and Community have been involved in reporting these abuses. The case has raised significant concerns regarding the effectiveness of internal controls and the protection of vulnerable, non-accompanied foreign minors within the Italian penitentiary system.