An 80-year-old man in Salento, Italy, has been sentenced to 3 years and 3 months in prison after being found guilty of domestic violence and causing injuries to his Albanian wife and her two children.
According to Italian media reports, the court also imposed a five-year ban from holding public functions and ordered compensation payments to the victims. The woman and her minor son will receive an advance compensation payment of €25,000, while the adult daughter will receive €10,000.
Years of alleged physical and psychological abuse
The prosecution established that between 2017 and May 2021, the elderly man subjected the family to repeated physical and psychological violence.
Investigators said he controlled their daily movements, prevented them from leaving the house freely, restricted the children's ability to attend school regularly, and forced them to work from the early hours of the morning.
The accusations described a pattern of intimidation, isolation, and abuse that allegedly transformed what was presented as a promise of a better life in Italy into years of fear and suffering.
Child allegedly assaulted and wife threatened with death
Among the most serious episodes investigated by authorities was an incident in which the man allegedly threw his six-year-old stepson against a radiator, causing injuries to the child's head.
Prosecutors also accused him of attempting to strangle his wife and repeatedly threatening to kill her.
The violence reportedly continued for years before authorities were alerted.
Investigation began after hospital visits
The case came to light after repeated visits by the Albanian woman and her daughter to the emergency department of the hospital in Tricase, where medical staff identified signs consistent with physical abuse.
Following the reports and medical findings, authorities launched an investigation that led to the prosecution and subsequent conviction.
The court's decision marks the conclusion of a case that exposed years of alleged domestic violence against an immigrant family living in southern Italy.