ROME – Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso appealed on Tuesday for witnesses to come forward in the case of Stefano Cucchi, who died in police custody.

  Cucchi’s death in 2009 following his arrest for drugs possession has resulted in a long process of trials and appeals. Prosecutors are currently considering a further appeal after all defendants were cleared in the latest verdict.

 The fact that no one has yet been held accountable for the death has caused considerable public outrage. Autopsies showed that Mr Cucchi died as a result of injuries he sustained in jail. Medical staff at Regina Coeli prison are further suspected of having neglected his treatment.

 Whilst in a previous trial some medical staff were found guilty of the neglect, in the latest appeal all suspects were cleared. Grasso said on Tuesday, “I would like to make an appeal. There are representatives of these institutions who were certainly involved in this case. Therefore, those who know must talk. They need to have the courage to take responsibility, because the State cannot accept unpunished violence like this.”

  Stefano’s sister Ilaria meanwhile, speaking on morning radio on Tuesday, said, “My family and I have fought for five years in what is, I have to say, an absurd process which had it not been about the death of my brother would have seemed like a joke.”

 “Today,” she added, “we have two verdicts which tell us that Stefano was beaten and tell us that no one is able to establish who it was that beat him.”

 The head of Police union Sappe, Donato Capace, also spoke to the radio show Radionorba, he said, “I have respect for Stefano Cucchi, but we shouldn’t make him out to be a saint.”  

 Prosecutor General Luigi Ciampoli has vowed that his office will examine the findings of the appeals court carefully and consider their next steps.