Naples, Italy – Salvatore Mezzarano, a former inspector with the Italian State Police’s Penitentiary Police, testified in court this week regarding allegations of violence against detainees at the Santa Maria Capua Vetere prison on April 6, 2020. The testimony, delivered during a sprawling trial involving 105 individuals – including police agents, Department of Penitentiary Administration (DAP) officials, and prison doctors – offered a glimpse into the chaotic circumstances surrounding the events, which occurred during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mezzarano, who spent over four months in custody following the incidents, admitted to physically intervening with two detainees. He stated he struck one detainee on the buttocks and brandished his baton near the feet of another, characterizing both actions as “dissuasive gestures” intended to de-escalate a rapidly deteriorating situation. “I apologize for what I did, even to you, doctor,” Mezzarano reportedly told the prosecuting magistrate, Alessandro Milita, “but they were dissuasive gestures, which I also made due to a misperception of the situation.”
The testimony comes as the trial enters a critical phase, focusing on the accounts of key figures present during the alleged abuses. The events at Santa Maria Capua Vetere have been described as one of the most serious incidents in recent Italian penal history. According to reports, Mezzarano’s name became synonymous with the case, lending its title to the large-scale prosecution.
Although acknowledging his actions, Mezzarano asserted that he also intervened to protect detainees from excessive force by other officers. “I defended dozens of people, I can swear to you, my gestures were not intended to harm,” he claimed. This assertion aligns with testimonies from some inmates who have stated that Mezzarano attempted to shield them from further violence.
The prosecution alleges a “punitive expedition” took place within the prison walls. Mezzarano described the scene as one of “friction, even degeneration, and total confusion,” stating he attempted to intervene whenever he perceived a detainee was in danger. The court is now tasked with determining the extent of individual responsibility within the context of what authorities have described as a breakdown in order.
The trial is expected to continue in the coming weeks with the testimony of other high-ranking officials involved in the events of April 6, 2020. No date has been set for a verdict.
