The mother and aunt of a
five-year-old boy have been arrested after the child was
allegedly punished by being beaten and whipped by electrical
cables, sources said on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old mother and the 23-year-old aunt, both Nigerian
nationals, were detained after prosecutors in Catania
investigated the case sparked by a complaint by the principle of
the boy's school.
The head reported that the child had signs of having been
whipped on his back and legs and he was immediately taken to the
Sicilian city's Garibaldi-Nesima hospital for treatment.
The subsequent investigation revealed an "alarming picture" of
abuse that showed the origins of the "signs of violence
imprinted on the child's body", prosecutors said.
The aunt was the person who allegedly subjected the child to the
violence in the presence of the mother.
The women face charges of mistreatment and aggravated bodily
harm.
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