A few months after the arrests, the trial of 26 individuals accused of belonging to the Trabia mafia clan, in the province of Palermo, began today before the preliminary hearing judge at the Palermo court. The charges brought against them include, among others, mafia association, extortion, damage, and arson.
At this morning’s hearing, we joined as civil parties alongside a victim of extortion who, after reporting their extorters, suffered a severe arson attack during the night of May 7–8, 2019, which destroyed the structure and equipment of their beach establishment in Trabia.
The flames that broke out during the night had destroyed the facility, causing significant damage, especially because the fire had occurred on the eve of the opening of the summer season. A devastating blow to the young owner, who, in the preceding months, had played a leading role, with the support of Addiopizzo, in a path of denunciation that had led to the arrest of his extortionists
In the hours following the fire, Addiopizzo had activated and coordinated support efforts involving the network of entrepreneurs and shopkeepers from the movement, who, with a spirit of solidarity, provided all the necessary support by supplying materials for reconstruction and equipment for the reorganization of the facility free of charge.
Specifically, some took care of the collection and disposal of waste, particularly ashes and debris caused by the fire, while others provided timber, building materials, and kitchen equipment (sinks, refrigerators, ovens, stoves, etc.).
It was an operational support machine set up by our Association that allowed the victim to rise from the rubble caused by the fire and reopen the business in less than two months. The new beach resort had been inaugurated on June 29, 2019, on the fifteenth anniversary of the founding of Addiopizzo.
Today, our active involvement in the process is a natural extension of our work in the territory. As this story shows, our support goes beyond assisting with denunciation and legal proceedings. We helped the victim reopen the business damaged by the fire, thanks to the solidarity of shopkeepers and entrepreneurs in the Addiopizzo network, long before the legal compensation payments were made.
Press
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