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Prison director fired after affairs with prostitutes

Malcolm Curtis
Malcolm Curtis - [email protected]
Prison director fired after affairs with prostitutes
George Caccivio. Photo: SRF

The director of a prison in the canton of Bern has been relieved of his duties following embarrassing revelations in the press about his involvement with prostitutes.

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Georges Caccivio, head of the Thornberg prison since 2011, was fired after a report in the Berner Zeitung alleged that he removed a page from the file of a prisoner accused of murdering a prostitute.

The page referred to Caccivio as a witness in the case, who testified that he had sexual relations with a drug-using prostitute before he became prison director.

He removed the document in order preserve his image in the eyes of his employees, the Berner Zeitung reported.

Caccivio was also on a first-name basis with another prisoner who painted.

The director bought a painting from the prisoner for 790 francs, authorized a therapist to buy another one and allowed the prisoner to display his art works in the prison, the Berner Zeitung said.

Caccivio acknowledged these facts but said the money that the prisoner earned was put into his (the prisoner’s) bank account.

However, he was charged with favouritism and treating the prisoners leniently.

Hans-Jurg Käser, the politician in charge of the Bern police, ordered an external investigation into the cases.

“I have come to the conclusion that he cannot continue to be employed as a manager in charge,” Käser told TV broadcaster SRF.

Käser said he had become aware that Caccivio had had other relations with prostitutes, even while he was director.

By the end of Monday afternoon, Caccivio was fired with immediate effect, SRF reported.
 

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