The mother and aunt of a five-year-old boy have been arrested after the child was allegedly punished by being beaten and whipped by electrical cables, sources said on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old mother and the 23-year-old aunt, both Nigeriannationals, were detained after prosecutors in Catania investigated the case sparked by a complaint by the principle of the boy's school.
The head reported that the child had signs of having been whipped on his back and legs and he was immediately taken to the Sicilian city's Garibaldi-Nesima hospital for treatment.
The subsequent investigation revealed an "alarming picture" of abuse that showed the origins of the "signs of violence imprinted on the child's body", prosecutors said.
The aunt was the person who allegedly subjected the child to violence in the presence of the mother.
The women face charges of mistreatment and aggravated bodily harm.
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