An Italian court has sentenced farm owner Antonello Lovato to 16 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter with eventual intent following the death of Satnam Singh, an undocumented Indian agricultural labourer who died after a workplace accident in the province of Latina, south of Rome. Prosecutors had sought a 22-year sentence.
Singh, 31, was working off the books when he became trapped in farm machinery on 19 June 2024, severing his arm. Rather than calling emergency services, the Assize Court of Latina found that Lovato loaded the gravely injured man into a van and dumped him outside his hut with the amputated limb in a crate. Singh died two days later at Rome's San Camillo hospital.
The verdict drew demonstrations outside the courthouse by members of the Italian General Confederation of Labour, students, and the Sikh community, highlighting ongoing concerns over the exploitation of migrant workers in Italy's agricultural sector.