Italy: The trial of Joy and the revolts in the camps

Today, 8 June 2010, the preliminary hearing of the trial of Joy takes place. Joy is a young Nigerian girl who has been been sentenced to six months for having participated to the revolt of Via Corelli’s center
and who has revealed to have been raped by the chief officer of the center, Vittorio Adesso.

For having been so brave in the denunciation of the brutal and sexist system of the Italian Centers of identification and deportation, Joy has been sued for slander. Hellen, another girl that confirmed Joy’s
version has been sued for the same accusation.

After having already spent six months in jail for Via Corelli revolt, Joy is waiting for being judged for another accusation that seems clearly groundless and that demonstrate the political willingness to isolate
and punish an embarrassing witness for the repressive machine of the centers.

Joy arrived in Italy in 2002 and she thought to work as hairdresser. Mislead by the criminal organization that had organized her departure, she was obliged to prostitute herself and then she was arrested by the
police for being migrant in irregular situation.

Joy was detained in the center of Ponte Galeria and then she was transferred to the center of Modena.

Although the article 18 of the Italian Law on Immigration clearly forbids the repatriation of a victim of human trafficking, Nigerian Embassy has gone several times to the center of detention to identify her and to undertake her deportation.

The intervention of his lawyer avoided her from being put in one of the charters directed to Nigeria that were organized by Frontex in these last months. A possible condemnation in this trial could speed up this
deportation.

Deporting Joy would have the effect to deliver her again directly into the hands of that criminal network which is responsible for her prostitution.

Doubly abused by the oppressive system of the camps, Joy has several times tried to commit suicide.

From 26 June 2009, Joy has accumulated nearly a year of detention in the circuit of jail and of centers of identification and deportation.

Migreurop, which has already denounced the atmosphere of violence and the bad treatments imposed to foreigners in Italian camps (http://www.migreurop.org/article1694.html), calls for a general mobilization in the trail of Joy, clear example of the criminalization of irregular migration in Italy.

Press contact: +33 1 53 27 87 81

Look at « The revolts in the Italian camps » http://www.migreurop.org/article1694.html

MIGREUROP
www.migreurop.org
+33 1 53 27 87 81
Contact@migreurop.org