Italy suspends dozens of prison officers on suspicion of torturing inmates

A judge in Italy has ordered the suspension of 23 prison officers on suspicion of torturing inmates, local media reported Thursday.

The officers of a prison in the northern city of Biella are accused of using cruel methods which caused unjustifiable physical suffering to the three prisoners, said the state-run ANSA news agency.

The agency pointed out that there have been several recent cases of mistreatment of prisoners in prisons across the country.

Last November, in the most recent case, six Italian prison officers including the head warder at Reggio Calabria Prison were arrested for 'torturing' an inmate.