A nightmare that lasted over a decade, marked by threats, physical violence, and profound psychological distress, was ended thanks to the insight of a family member and the timely intervention of the Carabinieri of the Dolianova station. The officers arrested a 55-year-old unemployed man red-handed for extorting a worker over 60.
The operation began when the victim's sister contacted the Carabinieri. Alarmed by the fact that her brother was now on the verge of poverty, despite having always had a stable job, the woman sensed the gravity of the situation and managed to get her brother to explain what was happening . She then informed the officers that the man was about to meet his tormentor near a local bank for yet another cash delivery.
The Carabinieri intervened and stopped the 55-year-old immediately after he received 650 euros in cash from the victim, having withdrawn it shortly before from the ATM.
The subsequent formal complaint filed by the worker, now determined to open up, revealed a dramatic picture. For over ten years, the man had allegedly been forced to pay monthly sums of no less than €600, for a total estimated amount of several tens of thousands of euros. The extortion demands apparently date back to the early 2000s, when the victim had briefly lived in a rented property owned by the suspect.
At the end of the lease, the latter allegedly accused him of an alleged and unspecified theft, demanding money in exchange for his silence so as not to report it. Over the years, the financial demands transformed into a veritable spiral of terror, based on the victim's total psychological subjugation and fueled by escalating threats and episodes of physical aggression that the terrified man never found the courage to report.
After reconstructing the entire incident and recovering the stolen money, the 55-year-old was taken to the police station. After completing the formal procedures, he was placed under house arrest pending a validation hearing at the Cagliari Courthouse.
