Police on Monday arrested 10
people suspected of abusing patients at a children's psychiatric
rehabilitation clinic in Grottaferrata, just outside Rome.
One of the arrested is being held in jail, while the other
nine are under house arrest.
Police say the suspects beat, force-fed, insulted and
humiliated the 16 patients - some as young as eight years old -
and kept three of them isolated in lockdown in their rooms.
The three-month investigation, which included audio and
video recordings, began in early 2015 after directors of the
company that manages the clinic reported suspected abuse to
police.
Custody in jail was given to the employee who was suspected
of locking the patients in their rooms, impeding their movement
and thus considered equivalent to the crime of kidnapping or
abduction.
Judges are reviewing the cases of six others suspected of
similar behavior.
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