Bibbiano, 3 convictions and 11 acquittals: where he left and what has remained angels and demons of the investigation

“Hands off the children”. Thus recited the many signs that appeared in 2019 before the courts when the investigation called angels and demons became public. In the center six presumed cases of illegal custody of as many minors residing in the municipalities of the Val d’Enza Union. 14 the defendants between former managers of the minor service, social workers and psychotherapists. Many had expressed themselves in the days of the mediated clamor of the investigation: from a lot of political part, in particular of the center -right, up to known characters such as Laura Pausini and who, like Pablo Trincinci, told similar stories, the one told in a poison of the lower Modenese.

The origin of the investigation

First of all the place: Bibbiano is a center with just over 10 thousand inhabitants 15 kilometers from Reggio Emilia in the Val d’Enza. Then time. It was June 26, 2019 when twenty -four people were under investigation and sixteen of them were subjected to precautionary measures. Among these are local administrators, social workers and psychotherapists.

The thesis of the Prosecutor of Reggio Emilia starts from alleged false relations compiled after psychotherapy sessions in which minors would have been suggested. The memories of the children, according to the accusation, would have been altered to arrive in some cases even to unjust to unjustly accuse the parents of sexual harassment.

The method used by psychologists and social services had ended under investigation.

The sessions took place in a structure managed by the Onlus Hansel and Gretel. The manager was the psychotherapist Claudio Foti who was at the center of the investigation, but chose the abbreviated rite.

The accused spoke of an unfair trial of science. Luca Bauccio, defender of the psychotherapist Nadia Bolognini: «We believe in justice, this process is a process of science. We have shown that all the evidentiary system is based on the claim to judge trauma psychotherapy and freedom of care. This process will mark a watershed and after the sentence we will know if it is still legitimate in Italy to take care of those who have undergone a trauma ».

The processes with abbreviated rite

Claudio Foti, in 2021, was sentenced to four in the first instance for abuse of office and serious malicious injuries. On appeal in 2023 it was acquitted. Sentence confirmed in the Court of Cassation. The then mayor of the Democratic Party, Andrea Carletti, also ended up under investigation. From the chief of accusation of false ideological he was acquitted, by that of abuse of office he was acquitted in October 2024 because he stopped being a crime with the reform of Nordio justice. He was investigated for the assignment of municipal spaces and contracts to the Hansel and Gretel association.

The sentence

Eleven of the fourteen accused were acquitted at first instance. For them, the accusation was to have drawn up or created false relationships facilitations to remove children from their families and give them foster care.

For all the prosecutor Valentina Salvi had asked for convictions for over 70 years in total. For the head of social services in the Bibbiano area, Federica Anghinolfi, the prosecutor had asked for 11 years and 6 months, plus three years and six months for other crimes not connected with a total of 85 charges; 11 years, however, the request had been requested for Francesco Monopoli.

Nadia Bolognini, the Psychologists of the Ausl, Imelda Bonaretti and Federica Alfieri, the social workers Annalisa Scalabrini and Sara Gibertini, Marietta Veltri (coordinator of social services), Maria Vittoria Masdea, Katia Guiderti, educators of Creative Srl, Valentina Uchino (neuropsychiatrist of the Ausl), Fadia Bassmaji and Daniela Bedogni, acquitted (two foster).

Three have been sentenced for other crimes. The Head of Social Services in the Bibbiano area, Federica Anghinolfi, was sentenced to two years in prison for two false items in a public act relating to the reporting of as many financial statements. A year and eight months for false public act in a report on the psychological conditions of a girl for the technical coordinator of the service, Francesco Monopoli. The Flavian neuropsychiatrist Murru was sentenced to five months for secret revelation, for talking to other suspects of the questions that had been asked to her in an interrogation.

Politics

Center -right and 5 Star Movement attacked the Democratic Party directly that ruled the country. The mayor Andrea Carletti had denounced dozens of haters for threats and defamation including the former M5s Luigi Di Maio. Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini went to Bibbiano and accused the Democratic Party of being responsible for the incident. There are the images of Giorgia Melloni at the entrance of the country with a sign: “We were the first to arrive. We will be the last to leave! ». One slogan was born: Pd, talk to us about Bibbiano.

The reactions of children’s family members

The Rest of the Carlinor reports the positions of the civil parties, first the family members of the children data in foster care. “I didn’t want revenge, just a little justice” says the girl’s grandmother who was the case-pilot of the investigation, which started from a girl’s design believed to be falsified with the addition of hands on purpose to represent a eyelid. “I won my battle when the juvenile judge gave me the opportunity to get our nephew back. I am disappointed, but I do not launch Rancori, no revenge: I remain of the idea that we have not made a mistake and on the way back from the court I embraced my nephew strong ». This is the location of the stepfather of another child: «We are bewildered and angry. It is as if our children had taken away for the second time. We did not expect all these acquittals: after everything we have suffered, it is a slap ».