Mother of Boy Involved in Fatal Accident Arrested in Milan

Milan: The mother of a 13-year-old boy, who was driving a car that fatally struck 71-year-old Milanese pensioner Cecilia De Astis on August 11, has been arrested in Milan. The woman, identified as 33-year-old Paola Soulejmanovic, was detained on Wednesday to begin serving an almost four-year sentence for theft.

According to Ansa News Agency, Soulejmanovic, who is also the mother of another child among the four youths aged 11 to 13 present in the car during the tragic incident, will serve three years and 10 months in prison for crimes including pick-pocketing and bag snatching committed between 2017 and 2019. Authorities discovered over 130 grammes of gold ornaments and more than 1,500 euros in cash in her possession, leading to her incarceration at Milan’s San Vittore Prison.

The incident has brought attention to issues of Roma-related crime in Italy, prompting Deputy Premier and right-wing League party leader Matteo Salvini to renew calls for the demolition of the Roma camp where the families reside. In response to the situation, the four young Roma involved have been removed from their families and placed in a youth shelter.