Milan prosecutors are investigating a complaint filed by a 51-year-old manager who says his wife beat, isolated, humiliated and tortured him for about 20 months. Around 30,000 recordings from security cameras on the couple’s boat are believed to show episodes of violence.
The case came to light on October 9, 2024. That day, the 51-year-old was seen leaving the port area of Saint-Tropez, France, in a hurry. He sought refuge in a hotel, but lost consciousness shortly afterward and was taken to hospital in a very serious condition. When he arrived, he weighed just 53 kilograms.
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Two days later, he went to the emergency department of a hospital in Legnano, Italy. Doctors found severe malnutrition, facial wounds, swollen lips, scratches and numerous cigarette burns. He also had burns on his legs and genitals, and his fingernails and toenails had been pulled out. Asked by medical staff what had happened, he replied: “It was my wife.”
The man, an entrepreneur in the financial sector, filed a complaint against his former wife, who had also been his business partner. Prosecutors have requested that she stand trial on charges of domestic abuse, aggravated assault involving cruelty and inhuman treatment, and exploitation of a person in a state of incapacity.
According to investigators, the couple’s relationship deteriorated sharply in February 2023, marking the start of the alleged abuse. Initially, the woman allegedly accused him of visiting prostitutes, being addicted to pornography and transmitting hepatitis B to her. Investigators found the hepatitis B allegation to be entirely false.
Over time, according to his complaint, the 51-year-old felt increasingly guilty and gave in to his wife’s demands. He summed up the change in his life with the words: “She turned me into a ghost.”
Prosecutors allege that the woman gradually took control of his daily life: she constantly checked his phone, denied him internet access and prevented him from freely using his personal documents or money. She also allegedly threatened him with serious consequences, invoking the claim about the illness and his fear that she might retaliate against his elderly mother.
The prosecution’s case describes repeated acts of physical and psychological violence. The man was allegedly struck repeatedly, including with a mobile phone, until he bled; on other occasions, he was reportedly kicked and hit with dog chains. According to prosecutors’ reconstruction of events, he was forced to sit motionless on the sofa, like a plant, eat from the dog’s bowl and urinate in the street.
The woman allegedly put out cigarettes on his body, causing the burns doctors later found. According to the charges, she kept him confined in the couple’s home in Milan or on the boat they used together, without allowing him to move freely.
Investigators have seized around 30,000 recordings from security cameras on the family boat. Prosecutors say the footage shows episodes of violence and humiliation directed at the 51-year-old; it could be crucial to reconstructing events and verifying his account.
The businessman’s lawyers describe his time with his wife as unrelenting terror and an experience of torture. Prosecutors considered bringing a torture charge but decided not to include it for legal reasons.
The investigation also includes a suspicion that the former wife transferred around 200,000 euros from the businessman’s assets into her bank account during this period. This is linked to the charge of exploiting a person in a state of incapacity, alongside the charges of abuse and aggravated assault.
The 51-year-old now lives with his parents again, and his lawyers are seeking more than one million euros in damages. The woman had also filed a counter-complaint against him, but last June a preliminary investigations judge in Milan decided to dismiss the case. The judge described the complaint as belated and intended to influence the investigation after the man’s escape. Prosecutors have requested that the woman stand trial on the charges against her.
