Milano – La verità sulla morte di Gianni: violenza e mancanza di aiuto

Milano – “Gianni was confused but not aggressive: he was treated violently by people who should have helped him and called for help. Just watch the video to realize it.” Danilo Sala describes his older brother, Gianni, as “a fragile and sensitive person, who would never harm anyone”. The 34-year-old died at the entrance of the Sky headquarters in Rogoredo on the night between August 19th and 20th, after being restrained by two security guards who are now under investigation for manslaughter. The family, assisted by lawyer Giuseppe Geraci, is fighting to “bring out the truth”. The sequence of the scuffle and, in the last photo, the desperate attempt to revive him with CPR.
The images from the surveillance cameras captured the scene. Watching the footage, obtained by the Milan Prosecutor’s Office as part of the ongoing investigation, what idea did you get?
“It all started at 11:56pm. Gianni goes back and forth many times. He approaches the security guards with his arms down, he is not a threat. He is probably under the influence of drugs. After about twenty minutes, Gianni is once again pushed away by the security guard. With a grip, he makes him fall to the ground, and his head violently hits the pavement. At 12:25am, the guard positions himself on Gianni’s back with one knee, and remains there for 7 long minutes, until 12:32am. At 12:33am, they perform CPR. At 12:42am, the guard makes a phone call, probably to emergency services. The ambulance arrives at 12:47am, they performed CPR but there was nothing more to be done for Gianni. The first police patrol arrives only at 12:48am, one hour after it all started. The emergency medical team arrives at 1:03am, and can only confirm his death. I keep watching that video, with the chronological order of events, and my ideas are becoming clearer and clearer.”
What happened to your brother?
“Gianni, who had drug problems, was in an altered state. He probably didn’t even realize what was happening. He found himself in front of people who couldn’t handle the situation and, instead of helping him and calling for help, treated him like a dog. He had a normal physique, he didn’t have any heart or lung problems. If they had intervened differently, he would still be alive. I can’t even mourn him because I’m too angry. Now we demand justice. We are waiting for the autopsy results to be deposited, then we will go all the way to bring out the truth.”
When did your brother’s drug problems start?
“In adolescence, with the first joints in Palermo, our hometown. Then he moved on to heavier substances and started using cocaine, which he found in that cursed place called the “boschetto” in Rogoredo. We chose different paths in life. I work on cruise ships: these days I am in New Orleans, in the United States. Gianni had moved from our mother’s house to Germignaga, in the province of Varese, and lately he was living on the streets. He was a good and fragile person, who had his problems and a difficult life.”
When was the last time you heard from him?
“In recent times, I was angry with him and had stopped answering his calls, because we had done everything to help him and find him a job, but he didn’t want to change his lifestyle and didn’t accept to follow a community program. We were very close, I was worried about him and his future. When I heard about his death, I returned to Italy for the final farewell and we took him to Palermo, where the funeral was held. On the day of the autopsy, in Milan, the two security guards were also present. They didn’t say a word to us, not even a gesture of condolences.”
Do you ask for witnesses to come forward?
“There were passersby who saw my brother in an altered state and showed complete indifference to what was happening. It seems to me that the video already speaks clearly enough.”