Catania, mistreatment in the family, personal injuries and extortion. Precautionary measure against the woman

This Public Prosecutor's Office, as part of the investigations into a 47-year-old Catania woman, investigated for the crimes of "mistreatment in the family, personal injury and extortion" against her mother, has requested and obtained from the GIP of the Court of Catania the issuing of a precautionary measure that orders the immediate removal from the family home, the prohibition of approaching places usually frequented by the victim, with the requirement to maintain a minimum distance of 500 meters and a prohibition of communicating with her through any means, carried out by the Carabinieri of the Librino Station.

The facts that gave rise to the issuing of the restrictive measure, in a stage of the proceedings in which the cross-examination with the accused has not yet taken place, have shed light on the violent and harassing conduct that the woman allegedly carried out for about ten years against her cohabiting mother, a 68-year-old widow, within the domestic walls of their home in the Librino district.

The relationship between mother and daughter would have become "unlivable" due to the 47-year-old's gambling addiction, which would have made her extremely aggressive towards her parent, who was forced to hand over her entire pension to avoid being verbally attacked and beaten. The lady would also have been deprived of giving small gifts to the other two children or grandchildren because the need of the defendant to gamble an increasing amount of money would have also pushed her to take possession of the ATM card with which she withdrew her pension. The daughter would therefore have independently disposed of her mother's money, giving the latter only a few cents and thus preventing her from financially helping the other children.

About two years ago, the woman allegedly also demanded that her mother give her all the money she had received as compensation following a road accident and, on that occasion, to force her, she allegedly beat her with slaps, punches and kicks, dragging her to the front door of the house to throw her out of the house., performing all these gestures in front of the father who, having intervened in defense of his wife, would have thus prevented more serious consequences.

After this serious episode, the mother would have also called the other children to inform them of her daughter's harassment and, on that occasion, she would have apologized and shown repentance. However, in September of this year she would have started beating her mother again, demanding money, even going so far as to hold a knife to her neck to force her to leave the house, threatening that, if she didn't, she would set fire to the house: "I'll take a can of gasoline and set everything on fire so no one can enjoy it!".

In October, however, she allegedly grabbed the victim by the hair, threatening to lock her up in a nursing home if she gave gifts to her grandchildren and, finally, when the mother asked for the return of her ATM card, no longer being able to support herself with the little her daughter left her, the 47-year-old not only refused to give it back, but also bit her under the eye, then grabbed her arms so forcefully that she bruised them, and tore off her clothes: "I'll break your legs so you'll end up in a wheelchair and I'll take everything."

Following this latest attack, the woman reportedly took courage by reporting her tormentor to the Carabinieri, thus allowing them to initiate the “red code” protocol and, therefore, carry out all the necessary checks and activities.

The immediate investigations conducted by the military of the Arma allowed the issuing of the precautionary measure against the suspect, thus interrupting the continuous mistreatment and giving back to the victim not only her material goods but, above all, her serenity.