An Italian farmer has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for abandoning an undocumented Indian farm worker, Satnam Singh, on the side of a road with his severed arm in a box following a severe accident. Singh later died from his injuries.
The incident occurred in June 2024 in Borgo Santa Maria, where Singh, a 31-year-old undocumented worker, suffered a devastating accident involving a machine that tore off his arm and crushed his legs. Instead of seeking immediate medical attention for Singh, his employer, Antonello Lovato, reportedly left him and his wife on the roadside with the severed limb. Singh succumbed to his injuries two days later at a Rome hospital.
During his trial in 2025, Lovato, 39, stated he had "lost his head" upon seeing Singh's injury and that he "wasn’t himself." Prosecutors had sought a 22-year sentence. Lovato was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter with eventual intent.
The case gained significant media attention in Italy and ignited public debate over the working conditions of undocumented laborers on the nation's farms. Following Singh's death from severe hemorrhaging, authorities indicated that prompt medical intervention could likely have saved his life, according to forensic reports.
Italian unions highlighted the case as an example of 'caporalato,' a system of abuse and exploitation prevalent in the agricultural sector where undocumented migrants are hired under precarious conditions. Maurizio Landini, secretary-general of the CGIL trade union federation, described the practice as one that treats people like "merchandise" and "parts of a machine." He stressed the need for systemic change to prevent future tragedies, stating that Lovato's trial, while important, was not a singular solution to the problem.
Thousands of Indian farm workers demonstrated in Latina, a rural area south of Rome, calling for justice and an end to what they described as "slavery" in Italy's agricultural industry. The verdict was broadcast live on Italian television.