Arrest of Sicilian anti-mafia activist and three others for elder exploitation

Last Updated: December 12, 2023

Five precautionary measures and a seizure of 385 thousand euros. At the head of the structure was Maricetta Tirrito, president of the association “Laboratorio Una Donna” and active in the fight against violence against women and the mafia. The woman ended up in prison. The police, coordinated by the Velletri prosecutor’s office, carried out the precautionary custody order against the five. The accused, four women and one man, face various charges including murder with eventual intent, abuse of a medical profession, and falsifying documents for profit. The judge also ordered the preventive seizure of approximately 385 thousand euros from Tirrito. The investigations revealed a system of exploiting elderly individuals with disabilities, with the collaboration of a doctor, to sign over money and property to Tirrito. The investigations were prompted by reports of elderly individuals being exploited within an apparently legitimate structure, but which was actually an unauthorized nursing home for the elderly. Tirrito, who had previously reported an attack on a priest and was herself a victim of an assault, had garnered sympathy and trust from the community, which she exploited for her criminal activities.