E/CN.4/1996/35/Add.1
page 76
406. The Special Rapporteur also informed the Government of continued concerns
expressed by the sources of information in the case of Carmelo La Rosa, who
was allegedly beaten severely by prison guards at Gazzi prison and on the
night of 24-25 June 1992 was found hanging in his cell. In a communication of
14 November 1994, the Government had informed the Special Rapporteur that the
forensic examination ordered by the Messina preliminary hearing judge
"unequivocally concluded that La Rosa’s death by hanging was due to suicide".
The source of the allegations noted that the allegations of ill-treatment
against Carmelo La Rosa in the days preceding his death had not been
addressed. In particular, the source indicated that a note by the President
of the Messina Appeal Court stated that Carmelo La Rosa "shows on his
shoulders and chest clear signs of blows from a blunt instrument which the
accused claims to be a truncheon blow". In addition, the Court was said to
have ordered that a copy of its record be passed immediately to the public
prosecutor so that an order could be issued for an immediate medical
examination at Gazzi prison clinic. The public prosecutor reportedly failed
to order such an examination.
Information received from the Government with respect to cases mentioned in
previous reports
407. In its letter of 7 August 1995 the Government provided to the Special
Rapporteur information on subsequent developments in cases to which it had
initially replied on 14 November 1994. These replies are summarized in the
paragraphs below.
408. The Court of Assizes on 26 January 1995 acquitted two Turin policemen of
manslaughter charges, according to which they were alleged to have kicked
Antonio Morabito, causing fatal intestinal haemorrhage. The Court concluded
that they had resorted to lawful use of physical coercion. An appeal against
the decision was filed by the deceased’s relatives.
409. In the case of Creaute Arsenie, who was allegedly ill-treated by police
in Milan, a criminal proceeding was opened against unknown persons on
19 May 1995. The case was placed on file for preliminary investigations.
410. As to allegations of ill-treatment in Secondigliano penitentiary in
Naples, the public prosecutor’s office had opened a criminal proceeding
against 65 officers belonging to the penitentiary police corps. The first
hearing in this proceeding was scheduled for 5 November 1995.
Jamaica
Information transmitted to the Government
411. By letter dated 10 July 1995 the Special Rapporteur advised the
Government that he had received information indicating that children as young
as 9 and 10 years old were held in police lock-ups, including Halfway Tree and
Central lock-ups in Kingston, for long periods, sometimes in the same cells as
adults. At the time of arrest and while detained in lock-ups, some children
were allegedly subjected to physical and/or mental abuse during interrogation
and were beaten and/or placed in dark cells, often in solitary confinement, as
methods of discipline.
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