New and severe measures against three of the young people already convicted by the Court of Palmi for the gang rape against two minor girls from Seminara and Oppido Mamertina. The State Police of Reggio Calabria has notified three decrees of Special Public Security Surveillance with the obligation to stay in the municipality of residence: one for a duration of three years and two for a duration of two years.
The “Masnada” operation and the case
The facts date back to the period between January 2022 and November 2023, when the tragic violence came to light thanks to the coordinated operation of the police called “Masnada”, which led to several arrests. Last year, the trial celebrated with an abbreviated trial before the Court of Palmi ended with sentences ranging from 5 to 13 years of imprisonment for those responsible.
An innovative legal precedent
The provisions issued by the Prevention Measures Section of the Court of Reggio Calabria are of unprecedented legal importance. Accepting the proposal formulated by the Police Headquarters on the basis of the investigations carried out by the Anti-Crime Police Division, the judges applied the provisions of the Anti-Mafia Code, also extending them to the crime of group sexual violence. Until now, personal prevention measures were mainly applied for crimes such as family abuse, persecutory acts (stalking), simple sexual violence, murder, aggravated injuries and appearance distortion. This extensive interpretation marks a decisive change of pace in the protection of victims of gender and juvenile violence.
Stringent controls to prevent recurrence
The primary objective of special surveillance is to reduce the social dangerousness of the subjects concerned and prevent the risk of recurrence of crimes.