My story is very complicated, because of the domino effect that my forced permanence in Sicily has risen, and also because of all the years passed. I'm obviously at everyone's disposal to clarify the situation using documents etcetera.
I arrived in Sicily in 1991 with a job offer lasting two years. My job let me travel: in fact precedently I have worked in other countries without any problem. I have never desired to establish myself permanently there, having planned to rejoin my family, living in the United States. Such was my condition at my arrive in Sicily: I had a property, investment goods, a life insurance etcetera, a very profitable self-employment, a satisfying life with authentic papers. I was a professional woman and my work was about art.
My actual condition: since 15 years I'm enslaved, compelled to be subordinate to working unlawfullness, to undergo exploitation of labour, abuses of power and many psychological and physical violences. All I'm abused was in order to survive, in front of the cold unconcern and the neglect of the public authorities to wich I appealed in the past and now also I continue to appeal. Consequently my life was plundered and bereaved of the past, the present and the future. This nightmare has begun and, paradoxically, goes on only because of my practice and respect of the law. Accordingly to this aptitude for legality, the judiciary system for first becomes an inappropriate weapon, everytime I did try to defend basic rights.
Two indictements followed by TWO COMPLETE DISCHARGES, because the accusations don't hold water (“il fatto non sussiste”), after 12 years of overall waiting. Therefore two times indicted in spite of complete innocence; and then, there is the aggravating circumstance: I was hindered from leaving the country (“l'obbligo di non espatriare”). That is what dragged me in a state of detention in Italy, deprived de facto of my FREEDOM.
My first judicial proceeding:
I simply tried to be paid for my job and to make met all business commitments; my collaborators were in conformity to the law. The outcome (standard on the foreigners) is a criminal lawsuit, that is a clear retaliation for daring to vindicate my rights. I repeat, separately I'll go into details. The incorrect behaviour helded by the Labor Union complicated all matters: in fact I and my collabotators were not paid. This indictement, started up in with many miscarriages of justice and errors of procedure of different kinds, beyond what is allowed, not only caused irretrievable damages to me, but also favoured wrongfullness, instead of oppose to her. This indictment let my employer to continue peacefully deceiving so the right-to-work as fiscal laws, as he always did. In fact in the past, before this vicissitude, he was sentenced four times for this kind of crimes.The irreparable damage to me was the indictment itself, wich swept out my business relations with my clients and with the companies, founded on reliance. Years of experience and zeal were made useless. Indeed my profession, a quite exceptional case, cannot be exercised through pending suites. That's why I remained unemployed, in a very strange land (most of all for women); in fact, since then, even if I ALWAYS toiled on, fitting myself to many others works, at all times I was forced to make concealed jobs, in conformity with the customs of this land.
My second indictment was even more has had consequences even more grievous than the first. In 1994, when I was waiting the judgement, I searched for a normal life, also of integration, as I always did in other countries. This is my custom. In consequence of my voluntary service about important social problems, after different threats, my car was burnt. A tangible warning, easily identifiable with a certain racket, in southern Italy. In spite of my attempts to denounce what happened, I was simply honoured by a record for public safety owing to the insurance; and then by an advice: “Come back home” (“torna al tuo Paese”). Since then this sentence became a refrain, normally pronounced from public officers. At that point, I had done that very willingly, if only I could leave the country.
As before, the attempt to denounce damages and unlawful violences got a strange effect: a penal action was brought against me for “presumed menaces (by me, Violet Rouet) to denounce to the policemen” the person who is presumably the responsible for the burning of my car. This man is a previous offender who furthermore put on the record the following words (I cite verbatim): “In this world the complaint is considered as something blameworthy and I too, even if I have no more criminal connections, I don't want to break this habit. So I refuse to undersign this report”.
I am told a person who records something like this, that is he respects different rules from those lawful, cannot be reliable, neither as accuser nor as witness. Nonetheless, againts every reasonableness, proofs, witnesses etcetera, I was AGAIN indicted. Always acquitted, after many years, so I was finally, for the second time, ackwnolegded as NOT GUILTY.
After the second indictment, I continued more and more to be threatened and to undergo violences by unknown persons; and the public authorities never let me denounce, even less they watched over me. Clearly public officers don't think that I have RIGHTS because of my state of foreigner; this is discrimination, or at least this is what I feel about it. In this vicissitude there are many other facts very heavy, wich happen not only to me but wich of course I would like to explain on a different occasion, if only I had been allowed; these facts are even more serious than the simple neglect of an official duty by the cognizant (so I thought) authorities of my security. Throughout these very long years it was an Odissey, because of my maintenance too; finally in 2000 my judiciary misfortunes came to an end and I was leaving Italy.
But my tenant (I declare beforehand that as usual I REGULARLY did pay the rent) taking advantage of my absence for work, got hold of all my riches (a fully furnished house, household ellectrical appliance, personal belongings etcetera) and my passport (this second object was catched to me many times). I was not allowed to bring action. On the contrary, a suit against ME followed; but finally I did understand the trend and I leaved off taking care of my interests; in fact if I had gone on, again I had been indicted and the waiting for obtain justice would have been very long.
In fact as soon as I renounced to safeguard myself and consequently I handed over my belongings, so my ex tenant (that luck!) did withdraw the countercharge against me; I got back only my passport.
I waited months to recover at least my passport and the money I treasured to leave the country were over; all this also because of many health problems provided to me by such a situation. Imagine my troubles: I got nothing and I was unable to rejoin my family, without any support. I was not able also to demonstrate that I was working during these troubles, beeing forced to do concealed works: as a result of it, my ID expired and I became an illegal immigrant, nonexistent. In such a situation, I came to a web of encroachments; blackmails; threats; works underpaid and many times unpaid at all; prosaically exploited: this is the normal condition of all the people who live in a state o slavery or bondage. I was also deprived of medical aid: beeing a french citizen, I cannot enjoy medical aid reserved to the non EU citizens. The impossibility to demonstrate even my simple existence stopped me in primis from accomplishing a petition before the legal terms expired; so became impossible to demand an indemnification for miscarriage of justice and compensation and ricover for all damages (material and moral) wich I am even now suffering. Only if I return a refund, I could relive, if possible, a worthy life.
I went on asking the authorities chiefly because of my trouble with the papers, even trying denouncing very serious impositions; as a result, I was regularly threatened to be deported. I asked also the Ministry of Internal Affairs, referring to a regulation (law by decree) decreed by the Secretay of the Interior Giuliano Amato about the state of slavery to which are subjects many foreigners. I was in fact able to draw and demonstrate an analogy, but I did not obtain nothing; the Ministry, as usual, did not intervene. It sent my back to the Prefettura*, wich in turn directed me to my Consulate wich, as the international agreements provide, sent me back again to the Perefettura, wich simply verbally keeps up redirecting me to the Consulate.
In the end, breaking the law, I finally got again my papers, even the residence permit: I am sorry, but such an act was done under necessity; I think it is clear at this point that by right I do not achieve NOTHING. Through the last three years, even though I am now a regular foreigner, I go on coming and going by office to office, never attaining any official answer. The officers of the Prefettura confine themselves to simple oral promises wich give me unfounded hopes. They refuse to give me an official notice that on the part of them I am not of interest; this notification had let me put into operation my Consulate. I point out that anybody worries about to check NOTHING; EVERYTHING I keep on saying with many documents and evidences was established by the relevant authorities; consequently there is no verifiable criterion about the reliability of my complaints; the only effect is the growing of a wall of silence because of a clearly awkward matter. The incessant calls by the country's highest offices to the common people to denounce the unlawfullness, to claim their own rights add insult to injury.
From 5 months I did break off working and looking for another job; my lease is expired; my psychophysics is at the end of my tether; I hope it's comprehensible. It is useless to continue living in these Circles of Hell, I prefer the death instead of such a life, lacking in rights, dignity and future too. The civil death is even heavier than the physical one. Actually, I attempt to survive drawing on my own savings, wich obviously are draining away; throughout all these long years I sold below cost everything, even my house, to survive and pay the lawyers: all my work is gone up in smoke, my life robbed of my present and of the future too. Untill now I have been financially independent, having ALWAYS worked (even carrying out not rewarding works) in a country where the job it's very rare. I hope no one will doubt about my ability to adapt, patience and goodwill too.
I hope also to have the right not to be past bearing: my powers of endurance are already over. I contributed to the social progress and the economical development of your country: I neither contracted debts nor rested on anyone else and I want to go on doing so, at least until my life force keeps on. I absolutely don't want to lose my self-determination and my indipendence; so I am willing not to accept any intervention, except for what it is included in my expectations and in accordance with the unquestionable right to have my corporate status. I simply ask for what, as far as I know, is due to me: I am “obsessed” with my rights, having always fulfilled my duties. The intervention I ask for, perhaps, is provided for in your rules as well as in your Constitution. Even the conditions consistent with my emergency, wich, I hope at this point it is plain, is due neither to my willingness nor to negligence, are clearly prescribed; this emergency exists NOTWITHSTANDING my uninterrupted appeals to all offices in charge within the deadline precisely in order to avoid coming to such a situation. I don't feel obliged to keep on undergoing because of the inefficiencies of the system that catches me; a prison that holds me even though my behaviour (always law-abiding and trustful for justice) never would have caused my abnormal condition. I trust in the fact that after having tried to use in vain regular, bureaucratic channels for 18 years I won't be invited to patient and understanding.
Resignation is alien to me; the silence too. The hunger strike it is not a demonstration, but rather the fulfillment of a sentence inflicted to me de facto. Even in front of the announcement of this final gesture (for me the hunger strike it's so) the authorities are unmoved; I take not of it. My last resort to break off the wall of silence and indifference it's turning to the public opinion and the society; it seems to be also the unique possibility to exist and to be heard of. For me, a discreet person, this will be the final violence. Beu I believe it is a social duty to pull my weight; I apologize for the rethoric, but I really hope this story will be useful, for the comprehension of certain phenomena, above all those bound to the life of the foreigners, about whom there are many dibates. As usual, I assume the responsibility for what I am declaring; I only ask the authorities to account for their responsibilities, in accordance with their respective state functions.
I wish to stress that there is no problem with the common people; I think I am well integrated in the italian society. The usual words: “Come back home” are normally pronounced by public officers above all. I'd leave willingly this country, but I consider also natural the return of my livelihood that was, I repeat, considerable when I arrived here, in Sicily and that was robbed to me. In fact the causal relationship between my actual, unacceptable situation and the amount of wrongs I continue undergoing is well provable. Because of the severity of US laws, it's quite difficult to to go to the United States and to stay there; I cannot weigh on my family because of my mentality.
* The Prefettura acts for the italian government in the regions, particularly for the Ministry of Internal Affairs
UPDATE: Owing to the total absence of medical assistance and my even worse health condition, I'm forced to renounce to the all-out hunger strike; but nonetheless I will do some extreme act.
