Crotone, 91 year old falls into a cliff and dies: the leaders of the RSA from which he had distanced himself on trial

Four people have been sent to trial for the death of a 91-year-old from San Giovanni in Fiore (Cosenza) in 2024 following a fall. The elderly man left a health facility in Crotone where he was hospitalized. Immediate trial has been ordered for three social and healthcare workers and for the owner of a private healthcare facility in Crotone. During the preliminary hearing, 14 civil parties were admitted including family members who are represented by the lawyer Katia Vizza of the Court of Cosenza and the lawyer Alessio Bombaci of the Court of Turin. The lawyers requested and obtained authorization from the preliminary hearing judge Assunta Palumbo to sue the civilly liable parties, i.e. the Rsa and the insurance company with which the nursing home is insured. On 9 August 2024, the elderly man from Cosentino was admitted to an elderly facility in Crotone. The 91-year-old was suffering from senile dementia as evidenced by the medical certificate filed at the time of hospitalization. Therefore, as reiterated by the family’s defence, the elderly man needed constant supervision from the healthcare staff of the facility. But seven days after hospitalization, the elderly man managed to leave the facility because “the automatic gate did not close due to a fault”. The old man crossed the road and fell down a cliff to his death. He was found five hours later also thanks to his family members who in the meantime had been alerted by the members of the retirement home. The family filed a complaint with the police and the Crotone Prosecutor’s Office (competent because the elderly man died there) opened a case for manslaughter. The elderly man’s family has since asked for any responsibilities for what happened to be ascertained.