Trapani detainee escapes hospital transfer, SAPPE flags safety risks

A detainee from the Pietro Cerulli prison in Trapani reported having swallowed a razor blade and was escorted to the Sant'Antonio Abate hospital. While the ambulance was at the emergency department, the prisoner slipped away and remains at large, prompting a large‑scale search by the Polizia Penitenziaria and other forces.

The prison‑guard union SAPPE, led by Secretary‑General Donato Capece, said the incident “looks like a simulated illness aimed at obtaining a transfer out of the prison.” Capece added, “Investigations are under way, but the episode highlights the risks of so‑called ‘on‑sight’ hospitalisations and the frequent external transfers of detainees.” SAPPE warned that such transfers drain guard resources, exacerbate staff shortages and reflect broader problems of overcrowding and inadequate security in Italian prisons.

Later the same day, agents recaptured the escapee near the hospital. Capece praised the response, stating, “I give my most sincere thanks to the officers who identified and captured the detainee in a very short time.” The union reiterated its call for reforms, including restoring a dedicated prison health service, increasing guard numbers and improving security protocols for external medical transfers.