By Stéphanie Mercier and Jakob Mell
A martyrdom shook Italy: In a small village northeast of Naples, a man held his sister captive for more than two decades! Together with his wife, the brother completely isolated his sister from the outside world, sometimes on a leash like a dog.
The scene of the crime is the village of Casalciprano, which is home to around 550 people. The nearest large town is Campobasso (50,000 inhabitants), about twelve kilometers away, capital of the province of the same name. What has been known so far about the fate of the 67-year-old is hard to believe: the woman was almost completely shielded and, according to her own statement, was only allowed to wash once a month. When she was freed, she wore the same clothes as 22 years ago…
Hard to believe: although she kept screaming for help, nobody in the village claims to have noticed anything.
Houses in Casalciprano. In this Italian village, a woman was held prisoner for 22 years Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Klaus Blume
The news portal “Oggi” reports that the woman was widowed in 1995 at the age of 40. Seemingly selflessly, her brother offered to move in with him and his wife “so you’re not alone.” First, the woman moved into her parents’ room. Five years later, her brother assigned her a small room next to a woodshed.
That’s where the horror began: when the brother and his wife left the house, they tied the sister up with a rope that was attached to the wall with nails. She was hardly ever allowed to leave the room, her brother always locked the door from the outside. If the woman spoke without being asked, she is said to have been slapped and insulted.
calls for help at the window
The imprisoned woman tried in vain to draw the attention of neighbors and strangers to her desperate situation. If people ran through the alley in front of her window, she would knock on the pane. In the winter she stood there all day and gave soft cries for help. Only when her brother and sister-in-law were out of the house did she dare to scream – but over the years none of the villagers have reacted, the newspaper writes “ Corriere della Sera“.
The woman was allowed to wash once a month Photo: Carabinieri Campobasso
► Then, apparently, someone took pity: The police received two anonymous letters in which the martyrdom of the woman was pointed out. When she was freed, the 67-year-old cried and said in disbelief: “You really came here to save me? Thanks…I’m free now.”
Why the brother and his wife locked up the sister one day is now being investigated. Assumption: greed! The widow received a survivor’s pension of 400 euros – apparently her tormentors kept the money for themselves.
According to Italian press reports, a complaint was filed against the brother and his wife, but the two are still free due to the unlikely risk of repetition. The sister should be in a protected place, she is being looked after professionally.