Horror and hope lie cheek by jowl in youth prison scandal

ROME – Recently Italy’s national conscience has been shocked by revelations of systematic violence and abuse at a youth prison in Milan, named “Beccaria,” where over the past month 13 guards have been arrested, eight more have been suspended and another four are under investigation.

According to prosecutors, the guards routinely engaged in what amounts to torture, including the abuse of power and sexual violence. This week, images from internal prison cameras were released which appear...