The flop of the electronic bracelet in crime prevention

Celeste Palmieri, killed in San Severo, in the province of Foggia, on 18 October by her husband, Mario Furio, who then committed suicide. Camelia Ion, found dead in Civitavecchia on the night between 17 and 18 October: her ex-partner, Lucian Tuduran, ended her life. Roua Nabi, murdered in front of her children by her ex-husband Abdelkader Ben Alaya, on 24 September in Turin. These are three women killed in less than a month, despite the fact that their attackers, reported for ill-treatment, wore electronic bracelets. Hichem Ben Fattoum also killed his wife, Saida Hammouda: it was 20 May. In that case the man was not wearing the bracelet: he should have been, but the device had not yet been assigned to him.

What has happened in recent months has thus rekindled the controversy over the functioning of anti-stalking devices, the use of which has more than quadrupled since the entry into force, a year ago, of Law 168 on 'provisions to combat violence against women and domestic violence'. This measure extended the scope of application of the electronic bracelet with anti-stalking functions.

The Senate's Justice Commission - of which Giulia Bongiorno is president - has thus launched a fact-finding investigation, with the aim of acquiring data on the number of active electronic bracelets, investigating the system of operation of the devices and identifying any problems, both from a technical point of view and with regard to possible malfunctions.

At the same time, the PD presented a parliamentary question, first signed by Valeria Valente, asking for clarity and immediate action. Among the causes of the increase in criticality, according to Valente, are malfunctioning devices, problems in the network, and availability. "If it does not work, the service contract must be revised. Another essential point is the adequate training of personnel, for an immediate risk assessment," explains the PDD senator, former president of the Commission of Inquiry on Femicide.

Supplying the anti-stalking devices to the Ministry of the Interior is the Fastweb group. The contract provides for the activation of a monthly number of 1,000 wristbands, with the capacity to use up to 20% more, for a total of 1,200, with a maximum supply time of 4 days.