Nine doctors are under investigation for manslaughter in the case of Bangaly Soumaoro, a 33-year-old migrant from Guinea and guest at the Bari shelter center in Bari, who died at the San Paolo hospital on November 4.
Nine doctors are under investigation for manslaughter in connection with the death of Bangaly Soumaoro, a 33-year-old migrant from Guinea who was staying at the asylum seekers’ shelter in Palese. Soumaoro passed away on November 4 at San Paolo Hospital in Bari.
According to the facility’s director, Soumaoro had visited a healthcare facility on November 2 and 3, where he was treated for symptoms, including intestinal issues.
On November 4, he called emergency services (118) and was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
CT scan showed non-food elements in migrant's stomach
"They called the ambulance only after his girlfriend started crying," a migrant at the shelter reported the day after Soumaoro's death. Others alleged that, for days, the man had been treated only with paracetamol.
A CT scan revealed unusual elements in Soumaoro’s stomach that could not be attributed to food, prompting authorities to order an autopsy.
The registration of the health personnel under investigation was a procedural step following the autopsy. However, it marked a significant development in a case that has drawn considerable attention in Bari.
Following news of Soumaoro's death, migrants at the Palese shelter staged an uprising on the night of November 4, which continued until the afternoon of the following day.
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A march of the guests of the shelter center calls for better living conditions
On the morning of November 5, approximately 200 people marched from Palese, on the northern outskirts of Bari near the airport, to the prefecture in the city center, demanding improved care and living conditions.
For hours, migrants and members of local associations gathered outside the government building, calling for better care, improved housing, and greater freedom to enter and exit the facility.
The protests highlighted complaints about alleged mistreatment at the center. According to Solidaria, a union desk for self-defense, the grievances included "inhumane living conditions," with residents reportedly sleeping in "containers."
In the afternoon, a delegation of migrants was received by Prefect Francesco Russo, leading to a resolution of the immediate situation. During the protests, migrants also raised concerns about the death of Soumaoro, the third migrant to die at the Cara center in Bari in 2024.
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