Bibbiano, a pleasant town in the province of Reggio Emilia, returns to the center of political conflict. “I have a question for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: When do you intend to apologize for the looting of Bibbiano four years ago?” With a photo post on Instagram today, Matteo Renzi resurfaces a hot topic that justice has effectively reversed: Bibbiano and his alleged scandals. The scandals that resulted in acquittal yesterday regarding psychotherapist Claudio Foti, one of the main figures of the story.
The Bibbiano case and Italian politics
Many have used Bibbiano to oppose the Democratic Party over the years. Like Luigi Di Maio, the ex-leader of 5 Stars: “I don’t want anything to do with the Democratic Party, which takes electroshock children from their families and sells them to them,” he said four years ago. A few days later it was Matteo Salvini’s turn: “Justice and truth. I’m ready to give my life to bring the children who have been taken from their families back home”. And then again in October 2022, Meloni: “No more the Bibbiano case. We will limit excessive discretion in juvenile justice”.
The sentence of psychotherapist Claudio Foti, who took part in the ‘Angels and Demons’ investigation regarding the alleged illegal detention in Val d’Enza Reggiana, was overturned in the second instance court yesterday. The Bologna Court of Appeal actually acquitted him of all charges: because he had not committed the offense of abuse of power and because there was no charge of grievous bodily harm. It also confirmed the acquittal of the procedural fraud charge. In short, an acquittal. In the first case in Reggio Emilia, he was instead sentenced to four years in prison. The founder of the nonprofit Hansel & Gretel accepted the sentence with deep emotion after a long deliberation session.
“After four years of exposure, truth and justice won. I cried, my accusatory theorem cracked”. This is Foti’s comment, who read the acquittal decision. Foti, the founder of the Piedmontese nonprofit ‘Hansel & Gretel’, was put on trial in abbreviated form and was recognized as a key figure in the investigation conducted by the Reggio Emilia prosecutor’s office. “Foti has been rescued after four years of humiliation and persecution as a man and as a psychotherapist,” said lawyer Luca Bauccio. The Attorney General explains that together with the acting prosecutor Lucia Musti, the reasons will be read and the result will be evaluated whether there is room for appeal to the Supreme Court.
Yesterday’s sentencing came as the trial in Reggio Emilia continued for the 17 defendants, who, unlike the founder of Piedmontese nonprofit Hansel & Gretel, chose the usual procedure rather than the shortened procedure. But this may be important because the misconduct against Foti was committed in connection with the appointment of the psychotherapy service to his association, without competition with the mayor of Bibbiano, Andrea Carletti, according to the impeachment hypothesis. Union Val d’Enza. The injuries were related to the psychological damage suffered by a very young patient, again on behalf of the prosecution: anxiety, depression and other disorders.
Bibbiano’s so-called “scandals”
Foti was accused of making her believe she was sexually abused by her father and subjecting her to the controversial “memory machine” EMDR technique, “in total violation of reference protocols”. This was one of the hottest episodes when the case broke out in the summer of 2019, which hit Emilia with precautionary measures taken by the gendarmerie and has become one of the most inappropriately cited investigations.
The electoral campaign for the regional elections in Emilia-Romagna had focused mainly on ‘Angels and Demons’ at the beginning of 2020, with the town of Bibbiano, Democratic Party member Mayor Carletti’s, becoming the place of discussion and rally. Worn-out T-shirts in Parliament were gone and caused constant controversy. He is at the center of an alleged illegal business that is linked to the world of the foster family, but where judges still have to largely express their views. “This issue has been used by politicians for a deeply malicious instrumental campaign,” said attorney Bauccio.
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Source: Today IT
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
