One of the Carabinieri police
officers on trial in relation to the death in custody of Rome
draughtsman Stefano Cucchi in October 2009 has accused two other
cops accused of the beating that allegedly led to the fatality,
a prosecutor told a court on Thursday.
Cucchi, 31, died in a custodial hospital wing on the night
between October 22 and 23, 2009, a week after he was picked up
on minor drug charges.
Cucchi's body had many injuries that his family said were the
result of brutality.
Thr prosecutor said Francesco Tedesco, one of three cops
suspected of the beating, had given a statement in which he
accused the other two, Alessio Di Bernardo and Raffaele
D'Alessandro.
"I said 'no more, what the f**k are you doing," Tedesco said
he told Di Bernardo and D'Alessandro during the beating in
questioning with investigators on July 9.
"It was a combined act. Cucchi started to lose his balance
due to a kick by D'Alessandro and then there was a violent push
by Di Bernardo, which made him lose balance and caused a violent
fall on his pelvis.
"Di Bernardo pushed but D'Alessandro struck with a kick in
Cucchi's face while he was lying on the ground".
The breakthrough comes after a long legal battle featuring
several trials in which it frequently appeared that no one would
be brought to justice for Cucchi's death.
"Today there was a significant turning point for the trial
and redemption for my client and the whole Carabinieri force,"
said Tedesco's lawyer, Eugenio Pini.
Cucchi's sister Ilaria, who has relentlessly campaigned for
justice for her brother, said that "the wall has been knocked
down.
"Now lots of people will have to apologize".
Two other Carabinieri are also on trial - Roberto Mandolini
for calumny and making false statements, and Vincenzo Nicolardi,
for calumny.
The director of a recent film on the case called Sulla Mia
Pelle (On My Skin), Alessio Cremonini, told ANSA:
"That damn door is opening, it's just a hearing and not a
sentence, I hope they reach truth and justice".
"We always imagined that Stefano didn't fall down the
stairs," said Cremonini, whose film stars Alessandro Borghi as
Stefano and Jasmine Trinca as Ilaria Cucchi.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
