Mute in front of the magistrate, waiting to see the prosecution documents. Two charges linked to corruption for having prescribed vitamins from Dicofarm and milk from Mellin in exchange for 10,000 euros from each company. Four other people were also investigated, including scientific whistleblowers and representatives of companies for the production of food and other baby products
ASK. This morning the interrogation of prof. Giuseppe Sabatino, Neonatologist of the SS. Annunziata of Chieti, who exercised the right not to answer before the investigating magistrate Paolo Di Geronimo.
It was the first hearing to answer the charges of the pre-trial detention order for sexual harassment of some relatives of his young patients and for corruption from alleged bribes for the prescription of milk and vitamins from Dicofarm and Mellin.
«The professor didn't answer, not because he has nothing to say – defense attorney Andrea Di Lizio explained after the hearing – but we still don't have all the documentation on which the custody order is based, we don't have the videos and therefore it was impossible for us to properly evaluate an alternative interpretation to the allegations. We have ideas and we need time to understand and to replicate».
So will you go back to the magistrate? Have you submitted a request for the revocation of house arrest? "We will certainly return, but I have not forwarded this type of request which I will present in due time - concluded the lawyer - it is certain that I will ask the investigating magistrate in favor of the professor for authorization to go out for treatment, given his health conditions".
Therefore, the time to face directly the accusations formulated on the basis of the investigation by the Nas dei Carabinieri to which it seems that it was the ASL that forwarded the report, after having become aware of the complaints of some women.
So much so that the ASL itself will bring a civil action in a possible trial against the professor, while it also seems that the University has also been alerted to certain behaviors by the Neonatology professor probably due to some health problems and the treatments and drugs to which is submitted. But these are events that will probably emerge in the event of a trial, while today the pre-trial detention order indicates five episodes of alleged harassment of mothers and two charges linked to corruption for having prescribed vitamins from Dicofarm and milk from Mellin in exchange for 10 thousand euros from each company.
«The accusations of having pocketed alleged bribes from the two companies are very summary – clarifies the lawyer Di Lizio – the prof has not pocketed a penny. If then there have been sponsorships of some conferences, these have not been organized for profit, but for the obligatory updating of doctors and nurses. There is one company that handles all the accreditation work and that has been paid as is usually the case in all conventions of all categories. As for the prescription of milk and vitamins, it must be said that the letters of resignation from the department - with the prescriptions to be followed - are almost always not signed by the professor, furthermore milk and vitamins are the ones most used even in hospital. And in these cases, parents are advised to continue with the milk which at that moment is better digested by the newborn".
The accusations of sexual harassment are heavier, because the investigating judge writes that they allegedly took place by abusing "the authoritative condition of the professor and the state of subjection of the victims".
As stated in the ordinance, «the presumable defensive objection, aimed at supporting the context and the modality in which the facts took place, did not in any way place the women in a position of not being able to escape Sabatino's harassing attentions. Furthermore, in some cases and with specific reference to the kisses requested by the professor, some women assume an attitude of non-obvious refusal and, substantially, collaborative, so as to be able to doubt that they were consenting».
But this does not mean - writes the investigating magistrate - that they were not "substantially forced to undergo the sexual attentions of Sabatino" so it is irrelevant that there was no dissent expressed.
«On this point too we need to see the images of the recordings, which we requested from the chancellery - concludes the lawyer - I maintain that it is the professor's particular empathic attitude that gives rise to some misunderstandings. Everyone knows that in moments of anxiety for mothers worried about the health of their preterm baby, an important aspect of medical therapy is psychological reassurance. I have never said, as reported by some press organs, that caressing a patient is good health care. I only pointed out that certain behaviors of the professor must be seen in the light of this empathetic attitude. I don't even dream of questioning what the prosecutor Lucia Campo and the investigating judge Paolo Di Geronimo claim, also given that there is a long, ancient relationship of mutual esteem. This does not mean that different positions can be supported in an adversarial debate. In the past it went like this and the accusations against the professor were dropped ».
Sebastian Calella
17/07/2014 – PrimaDaNoi.it
Bribes and harassment: the professor and the other suspects do not respond
According to the allegations, the head of Neonatology at the “SS. Annunziata” allegedly harassed the mothers of the children he visited in his studio at the Theatine polyclinic: the proceedings were filmed by a video camera placed on the spot by the Nas carabinieri who were investigating on the basis of a complaint.
The images also served to reveal an alleged ring of corruption in which Sabatino is still under investigation together with four other people including scientific representatives and representatives of companies for the production of food and other baby products. It's about Marco D'Errico from Rome, Gabriele Bellia from San Vittore Olona, as well as Luigi Leccese and Antonio De Panfilis, both from Pescara. The latter, all under house arrest on charges of corruption, allegedly promised Sabatino 20,000 euros for him to prescribe some products from their companies, especially vitamins and milk. Sum that would have been partially delivered.
This morning in court everyone, except De Panfilis, made use of the right not to answer.
editorial staff17 July 2014 – CHIETITODAY
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