A guarantee notice because last October it did not prevent a child at school from crushing his fingers in a door. This is what happened to the mayor of Crema, the dem Stefania Bonaldi, who last night informed the municipal council of her city.
«On 3 June – said the first citizen – I was notified of a guarantee notice. The procedure originates from a claim that occurred last October, at the nursery school in Via Dante, when a child suffered a crushing trauma of the 3rd and 4th finger of his left hand ».
As Bonaldi herself informed, “the child put two fingers in the hinge of the fire door, which closed automatically, the resulting injuries required a treatment period of about 3 months, fortunately, and that’s what matters most, without there having been a legacy of permanent injuries, so much so that the child has returned to attend the same communal nursery ».
No permanent problems, therefore, for the little one, who after the incident returned to class. Bonaldi also clarified that at the time “our reconstructions at the time, carried out jointly with the Managers of the Aurora Domus Cooperative, who managed the structure as part of the broader partnership of the Social Co-planning, did not ascribe to maintenance or structural responsibilities the events “.
This, however, did not spare Bonaldi and other subjects “the violation of the DGR of the Lombardy Region 2929 of March 9, 2020, relating to nurseries is being challenged. The DGR verbatim reads: “Construction elements, furnishings and equipment including games, must have accident prevention characteristics, in particular suitable measures must be adopted to avoid dangerous situations (eg. Sharp edges, steps, protruding radiators, window frames with sharp edges), in relation to the age of the children and ensure safe conditions and easy cleaning by the staff “. Therefore, the Prosecutor deduces that the mayor “would have failed to equip the REI 120 fire door with any suitable device to avoid automatic closing or to guarantee manual closing and opening in safety, against the risk of crushing the limbs or other parts of the body of the children welcomed there “.
The mayor admits that “this episode, since its occurrence, has been a source of great dejection for me, soothed only by the happy health outcome”.
But it invites reflection: “Today – he says in his long speech in the classroom and then repeated on social media – it is also time to focus on a system that, at national level, needs interventions and corrections, also invoked by authoritative opinion leaders and scholars in a transversal way, which increase the legal protections in favor of the mayors ».
Indeed, it poses a very topical issue in the public debate, in time of elections: the difficulty in finding candidates for the role of mayor. “After all – explains Bonaldi – if today a very long persuasion process is necessary to find available candidates, it is because serving one’s community has become too risky”.
And Bonaldi adds: «The president of Anci Antonio Decaro, mayor of Bari, said it very clearly in a recent interview with a national newspaper. «Those who find satisfaction in their work – says the colleague -, today it is difficult to apply. Those who have a job do not leave it to often go to earn less and always take risks. It is a dangerous job: every time a mayor signs a deed he risks committing an abuse of office. If he does not sign, he risks the omission of official documents ».
The story of Crema recalls a recent judicial affair, the one that saw the former mayor of Lodi Simone Uggetti as protagonist acquitted a few days ago with full formula due to the non-existence of the fact that he was challenged in May 2016, or the alleged danger of pollution of the tests in a matter of assignment of a tender for municipal swimming pools.
«In the meantime – Bonaldi recalls – the media pillory had demolished first the man and then the administrator. The same applies to the acquittal of the mayor Virginia Raggi for behavior which, in the trial of the trial, did not result in a crime. Or again, the conviction of the mayor Chiara Appendino with an indictment, for the facts of Piazza San Carlo, in Turin, which seems to be part of an objective, rather than personal, criminal responsibility. It is no coincidence that the same has declared its unavailability for a second mandate, a circumstance that in a normal context would be very anomalous, because each mayor or mayor is willing and proud to carry on what he has sown “.
«I hope – concludes the mayor of Crema – that this story of ours, with less serious outlines than those just mentioned, and perhaps for this reason perhaps even more paradoxical, will help to accelerate a serious reflection at national level. If a child squeezes two fingers at the municipal nursery, fortunately without reporting permanent damage, and the mayor receives a warranty notice, it seems clear to me that something in the system (not in the specific case, I reiterate it and renew my full confidence in the judiciary), functions inadequately “.
Solidarity with Bonaldi came from many places. The mayor of Bergamo Giorgio Gori asks himself on Twitter if “can we go on like this?”. Even the mayor of Milan – reappointed – Giuseppe Sala says that “we cannot go on like this: it seems to me that there is a broad consensus on this and I expect that there will also be some decisive action by the mayors”.
Other mayors – such as Dario Nardella, Virginia Raggi, Virginio Merola and Antonio Decaro (president of Anci) – also expressed solidarity with Bonaldi. And also the leader of the Lega Matteo Salvini commented on the story: «It is unacceptable to investigate and persecute the mayors, throughout Italy, whatever happens. Increasing salaries and protections for the first citizens is a priority for the League, the #referendumgiustizia will be an opportunity for everyone ».