Dedective's Nootebook - OCTOPUS Detective Investigatore Privato Milano Bergamo Cremona

Detective's notbook

• L’investigatore giuslavorista. Cause di lavoro vinte in Tribunale.

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Diffusion and reproduction without written permission is forbidden - Legals

Investigazioni Octopus Sas è la società che gestisce e aggiorna i contenuti del sito Internet www.investigazionioctopus.com

Privacy

In ottemperanza alla legge 675/96 forniamo alcune informazioni circa l'utilizzo da parte della Investigazioni Octopus Sas dei suoi dati personali, qualora intenda spontaneamente comunicarli tramite il modulo di richiesta informazioni e/o di richiesta assunzione.

I suoi dati saranno trattati esclusivamente a scopi interni al fine di soddisfare le sue esigenze, come trasmesseci.

Senza il loro trattamento, cui lei consente tramite l'inserimento dei dati, l'unica conseguenza sarà che tali finalità non potranno essere realizzate.
Il trattamento sarà realizzato mediante strumenti tradizionali, informatici e telematici.
Tali dati non saranno comunicati o accessibili a terzi salvo i casi previsti dalla legge.

Le sono riconosciuti i diritti di cui all'articolo 13 della L. 675/96 alcuni dei quali sotto brevemente sintetizzati; La preghiamo di non procedere all'inserimento dei suoi dati sensibili, ossia i dati idonei a rilevare l'origine razziale ed etnica, le convinzioni religiose, filosofiche o di altro genere, le opinioni politiche, l'adesione a partiti, sindacati, associazioni o organizzazioni a carattere religioso, filosofico, politico o sindacale, nonchè idonei a rilevare lo stato di salute e la vita sessuale.

Dati personali

La legge 675/96 (nel seguito: "Legge") disciplina il trattamento dei dati personali.

Per dato personale si intende qualunque informazione relativa a persona fisica o giuridica, ente o associazione (nel seguito: "l’interessato") che consenta l’univoca identificazione, sia essa diretta o indiretta, dell’interessato.

Per trattamento dei dati personali si intende la loro:
raccolta, registrazione, organizzazione e conservazione;
elaborazione, selezione, estrazione e raffronto;
modifica, blocco, cancellazione e distruzione.

La suddetta legge prevede per questi trattamenti, in via di principio e con qualche specifica eccezione, il consenso dell’interessato.

E’ istituita per legge la figura del garante, un organo collegiale preposto alla tutela dei soggetti per quanto riguarda il trattamento dei dati personali .
E’ previsto altresì che al soggetto interessato vengano fornite le opportune informazioni relative ai contenuti della Legge con particolare riferimento ai propri diritti; tali informazioni sono state appositamente riassunte nella presente nota informativa.

Diritti dell'interessato

L’art. 13 della Legge attribuisce all'interessato specifici diritti. In particolare l'interessato può ottenere dal titolare la conferma dell’esistenza o meno di propri dati personali e che tali dati vengano messi a sua disposizione in forma comprensibile.

L’interessato può altresì chiedere di conoscere l’origine dei dati, nonché la logica e le finalità su cui si basa il trattamento; di ottenere la cancellazione, la trasformazione in forma anonima o il blocco dei dati trattati in violazione alla legge, nonché l’aggiornamento, la rettificazione o, se vi è interesse, l’integrazione dei dati; di opporsi, per motivi legittimi, al trattamento stesso.
Per la cancellazione di dati personali in nostro possesso, è necessario spedire un fax, contenente la richiesta espressa di cancellazione dei dati.
Il fax deve essere debitamente firmato.

Titolare e responsabili

Titolare del trattamento dei dati personali é Investigazioni Octopus Sas, via Mangiagalli 8, Milano.

I contenuti pubblicati sul sito sono di proprietà di Investigazioni Octopus Sas e non possono essere replicati, neanche parzialmente, su altri siti Web, mailing list, newsletter, riviste cartacee e cdrom senza la preventiva autorizzazione, indipendentemente dalle finalità di lucro.

L'autorizzazione va chiesta per iscritto via posta elettronica e si ritiene accettata soltanto con un preciso assenso degli amministratori di Investigazioni Octopus Sas, sempre per iscritto. Il silenzio non dà luogo ad alcuna autorizzazione.

Gli elementi grafici e l'HTML presenti sul sito www.investigazionioctopus.com sono da considerarsi di esclusiva proprietà di Investigazioni Octopus Sas.

Il logo e la denominazione Investigazioni Octopus sono marchi registrati, pertanto è espressamente vietata la riproduzione, la duplicazione e la diffusione.

I contenuti del 'Taccuino del Detective' sono di esclusiva proprietà di Investigazioni Octopus Sas, protetti da copyright e non possono essere replicati, duplicati o ritrasmessi, neanche parzialmente, nè in formato digitale nè in formato cartaceo, senza la preventiva autorizzazione di Investigazioni Octopus Sas.

La possibilità di effettuare la stampa degli articoli contenuti nel taccuino vuole essere solo un servizio aggiuntivo per facilitare la consultazione e l'eventuale archiviazione dei contribuito per il solo uso personale.

Ogni abuso verrà punito a norma di legge.

• Cause di lavoro per malattie professionali. Malattie professionali amianto correlate.

This content is exclusive property of Investigazioni Octopus S.a.s and protected by copyright Laws.
Diffusion and reproduction without written permission is forbidden - Legals

Investigazioni Octopus Sas è la società che gestisce e aggiorna i contenuti del sito Internet www.investigazionioctopus.com

Privacy

I suoi dati saranno trattati esclusivamente a scopi interni al fine di soddisfare le sue esigenze, come trasmesseci.

Dati personali

La legge 675/96 (nel seguito: "Legge") disciplina il trattamento dei dati personali.

La suddetta legge prevede per questi trattamenti, in via di principio e con qualche specifica eccezione, il consenso dell’interessato.

Diritti dell'interessato

Titolare e responsabili

Titolare del trattamento dei dati personali é Investigazioni Octopus Sas, via Mangiagalli 8, Milano.

Ogni abuso verrà punito a norma di legge.

Eredità giacenti e rintraccio eredi. Esecuzioni testamentarie difficili. Published on: 25 Apr 2018

This content is exclusive property of Investigazioni Octopus S.a.s and protected by copyright Laws.
Diffusion and reproduction without written permission is forbidden - Legals

Investigazioni Octopus Sas è la società che gestisce e aggiorna i contenuti del sito Internet www.investigazionioctopus.com

Privacy

I suoi dati saranno trattati esclusivamente a scopi interni al fine di soddisfare le sue esigenze, come trasmesseci.

Dati personali

La legge 675/96 (nel seguito: "Legge") disciplina il trattamento dei dati personali.

La suddetta legge prevede per questi trattamenti, in via di principio e con qualche specifica eccezione, il consenso dell’interessato.

Diritti dell'interessato

Titolare e responsabili

Titolare del trattamento dei dati personali é Investigazioni Octopus Sas, via Mangiagalli 8, Milano.

Ogni abuso verrà punito a norma di legge.

• Recording telephone conversations Call Mynah

Call Mynah

The software of modern cell phones and smartphones are becoming more complex. For this it’s difficult to find programs to record telephone conversations on these devices. But now there is a unique solution for any mobile phone equipped with Bluetooth: Call Mynah (http://www.callmynah.com), an equipment with internal recorder that can record the conversations of any mobile phone which has previously been synchronized and located within 10 meters range.
You can store in your pocket or purse Call Mynah on and synchronized with your mobile phone, and you are sure to record every word of an important business conversation or a threatening phone call.

Published on: 17 Jun 2012

• Wire taping between bystanders or simply recording of conference. Wire taping

Wire taping between bystanders or simply recording of conference.

Wire taping

The company TASCAM (www.tascam.com) specializes in microphones and professional audio equipment has developed "iM2", a microphone for quality audio recordings on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Although now all smartphones serve as discrete audio and video recorders, the feature iM2 is very useful especially when it counts the sound quality.

Published on: 17 Jun 2012

• The best GPS Locator against Alzheimer and for baby protection. TRACKER GPS

he best GPS Locator against Alzheimer and for baby protection.

TRACKER GPS

The Iberian company “Vision Sistemas de Localización” has patented a GPS Locator small enough to be tied to the strap of a wristwatch. The locator has a long range battery, it can be located in basements and is simple to use. The product is marketed at a cost of about a thousand euro on the site www.keruve.com and is granted on probation for 15 days prior to purchase.
The locator is designed to protect Alzheimer's patients and children, but it could also be useful to track a parcel delivery, the money of ransom or the bait for thieves.

Published on: 17 Jun 2012

• legitimacy of inquiring into employees’ behaviour The Italian Supreme Court

The Italian Supreme Court

The Italian Supreme Court reaffirms the legitimacy of inquiring into employees’ behaviour in their company’s interest.
Download PDF

• 15^ FIERA DELLA SICUREZZA SICUREZZA, leader event.

SICUREZZA, leader event.

SICUREZZA, now in its 15th Edition, keeps on being the only international exhibition in the security industry taking place in Italy, and confirms its position among the top world events dedicated to security.
www.fieramilanotech.it

• Privacy tra coniugi Non è reato curiosare nel cellulare del coniuge

Non è reato curiosare nel cellulare del coniuge

Il Tribunale di Milano ha sentenziato in favore del diritto di curiosare nel cellulare o nel computer del coniuge, purchè non si tratti di apparecchio coperto da segreto aziendale o di Stato.
Una limitazione alla privacy a favore del buon senso; infatti non è molto sensato parlare di privacy tra persone che si sono impegnate a condividere i loro destini.

• Hai messo la maglia (antiaccoltellamento)? novità dalla fiera Milipol 2009

novità dalla fiera Milipol 2009

Verrà un giorno in cui le nostre mamme non ci chiederanno più se abbiamo messo la maglia di lana, ma quella antiaccoltellamento. Non ci ricorderanno più di coprirci bene, ma d’indossare il corpetto antiproiettili.
A parte gli scherzi, nell’ultima fiera sulle tecnologie militari e di polizia, tenutasi a Parigi, abbiamo trovato una soluzione al rischio di accoltellamento, che è sempre stato abbastanza elevato nei casi di violenze familiari o di stalking, di cui ci siamo occupati sino ad oggi: la ditta spagnola “Multi Threat Protection” (www.mtptactical.com) produce una maglia, della consistenza di una maglietta della salute, in grado di fermare la lama di un coltello. Oltre a questa maglia antiaccoltellamento vengono forniti anche un paragola e un parabraccio.
Si tratta di un prodotto innovativo, la miglior difesa passiva inventata negli ultimi anni, poiché facilmente indossabile e ad un costo accessibile intorno ai 100 €uro.
Se consideriamo le statistiche sulle escalation delle violenze in famiglia in massima parte concluse tragicamente con aggressioni all’arma bianca, ciascuna donna perseguitata dall’ex-marito violento dovrebbe indossare una maglietta antiaccoltellamento. La precauzione potrebbe salvare la vita di molte vittime.
Abbiamo inserito alcune immagini nella sezione Curiosità

• Le attività sotto copertura e la privacy novità

novità

Per fugare ogni dubbio sulla legittimità delle attività d’indagine sottocopertura degli investigatori privati (delegittimate nel 2005 dalla sentenza n. 15076/2005 della Cassazione e successivamente riammesse, sebbene in un linguaggio troppo burocratese per essere chiaro, dal “Codice deontologico sulla privacy”), il 22/01/2010 abbiamo telefonato al Garante della privacy e ci è stato spiegato definitivamente (anche se in fatto di applicazione del diritto in Italia non vi è nulla di definitivo) che la nostra attività investigativa sottocopertura è perfettamente legittima e i suoi risultati possono assurgere al valore di prove.
Abbiamo sottoposto al gentile funzionario del Garante esempi concreti, come il caso di un ex marito che non paga l’assegno divorzile, professandosi disoccupato, e la sorveglianza del quale permette di scoprire il suo lavoro di cameriere in un bar.
In questo caso non è opinabile il diritto dell’investigatore di entrare nel locale pubblico, per documentare il secondo lavoro del sorvegliato, ma neppure il diritto di rivolgerli la parola oltre che per le ordinazioni, anche per conoscere altri dettagli sulla occupazione illegale, come lo stipendio o gli orari o da quanto tempo lavora in loco.

Published on: 06 Apr 2010

• Da uno dei nostri casi all’analisi della legge anti-stalker. come affrontare lo stolker

come affrontare lo stolker

Una notte di qualche anno fa una nostra cliente ci telefonò terrorizzata. Dopo la loro separazione l’ex-marito non aveva mai smesso di perseguitarla e quella notte l’aspettata fuori di casa da molte ore. La povera donna dapprima aveva temporeggiato chiusa nella sua abitazione, sperando che si stancasse, ma lui le aveva rotto il citofono e divelto la cassetta postale. Poi si era decisa a chiamare le Forze dell’Ordine, che avevano promesso l’intervento della pattuglia non appena se ne fosse liberata una. Infine, verso le tre del mattino ci chiese aiuto.
Arrivammo sul posto mentre il persecutore (o se preferite lo stalker) dormiva come un angioletto nella sua auto davanti all’abitazione dell’ex-moglie. Senza svegliarlo ritelefonammo al numero delle emergenza e, insistendo, ottenemmo finalmente in po’ di considerazione; s’erano fatte oramai le quattro del mattino, quando arrivò una pattuglia. L’uomo fu svegliato e andò su tutte le furie. Ovviamente, il “cuor di leone” non si scagliò contro gli agenti intervenuti, ma insultò e minacciò di morte la sua ex-moglie e noi detectives. Tutti ci saremmo aspettati l’arresto dell’energumeno, come avrebbe previsto la legge, e un processo con la testimonianza dei pubblici ufficiali presenti. Con un po’ di buona volontà gli articoli del codice penale non mancavano: molestia, violenza privata, minaccia grave, danneggiamento; ma i tutori dell’ordine, al contrario, ignorarono i reati di cui erano stati testimoni, rabbonirono lo stalker e lo convinsero ad allontanarsi indenne dalla “scena del crimine”. Quando fummo soli capimmo il perché di tanta indulgenza: gli agenti stavano per terminare il loro turno di lavoro e l’arresto dell’uomo avrebbe comportato straordinari non graditi. All’agente di pattuglia più giovane e semplicione sfuggì persino un’infelice battuta davanti alla vittima: “se proprio deve tornare speriamo che lo faccia dopo che noi siamo smontati dal turno”.
Il recente decreto sulla sicurezza introduce il reato di stalking, prevedendo pene più severe per i persecutori, ma queste sono solo l’ultimo aspetto del problema. Prima dell’arresto ci dovrebbe essere un’efficace attività di prevenzione contro i persecutori e di sostegno a favore delle vittime. Dal punto di vista di queste ultime non conta tanto la pena prevista dalla Legge, ma la sua capacità di proteggerle. Sapere che lo stalker omicida rischia l’ergastolo non aiuta la vittima a evitare le molestie o a nascondersi dal suo assassino.
In tutti questi anni ante legge anti stalker, abbiamo potuto verificare che le Autorità possono proteggere una donna perseguitata, ma sono necessarie profonda conoscenza del fenomeno, buona volontà e voglia di lavorare. Nella maggior parte dei casi non si procede all’arresto quando non è obbligatorio, ma non obbligatorio non significa non previsto. L’intervento a seguito di richiesta d’aiuto è spesso tardivo, quando l’energumeno si è calmato o ha già ucciso. Nessuno sembra comprendere veramente che lo stolker è uno psicopatico: capace di farsi benvolere, ma potenziale assassino. La percezione della realtà di questi squilibrati e lontana da quella di qualsiasi bravo cittadino ligio alla legge: diffide o minacce di carcerazione scatenano la loro ira anziché fermarli.
Una seria legge antistalker, dunque, avrebbe dovuto prevedere programmi di protezione e sostegni economici per le vittime, nonché bracciali elettronici antisconfinamento, elenchi pubblicati e certezza delle pene per gli aguzzini.
Le donne perseguitate, oggi come ieri, devono arrangiarsi per conto loro, seguendo le tre principali regole del fai da te in questo campo:
- gli stalker aumentano la loro aggressività a seguito di diffide o arresti;
- prima di prendere qualsiasi iniziativa contro il persecutore, organizzare la propria sicurezza;
- meglio nessuna iniziativa che un’iniziativa sbagliata, utile solo a rendere furioso il criminale e a dargli la sensazione di essere intoccabile.

Published on: 26 Apr 2009

• Blacke Agel

La moderna tecnologia oggigiorno offre numerose possibilità di difendersi da telefonate moleste o messaggi indesiderati. Stanno diventando sempre più numerosi i telefoni cellulari dotati di software in grado di proteggere i proprietari/utenti.
Capostipite di questi rimedi a favore della tranquillità è il cellulare Black Angel della NGM (www.ngm-mobile.com); questo apparecchio, di concezione italiana, permette d’inserire i numeri indesiderati in una “lista nera”, lasciando alla tecnologia il compito di stoppare gli scocciatori. Black Angel, inoltre, è dotato di un’area privata pressoché inaccessibile dai curiosi, ha il supporto per due schede sim, funzioni avanzate di antifurto. Senza contare numerose altre dotazioni di qualità, cui oramai siamo abituati.
Dunque le aziende produttrici di telefonini tengono conto, molto più di quanto abbiamo sin’ora fatto le compagnie telefoniche, dell’eventualità che i loro prodotti si trasformino in strumenti di persecuzione e stalking a danno dei loro clienti. Anche se l’Articolo 127 del Codice della Privacy impone alle compagnie telefoniche (facendosi, tuttavia, pagare il servizio) di fornire al proprio abbonato perseguitato la visibilità in chiaro dei numeri

• Le indagini difensive all’estero non sono ammesse Sentenza n. 23967/2007 della I Sezione Penale della Corte di Cassazione

Le indagini difensive all’estero non sono ammesse

Sentenza n. 23967/2007 della I Sezione Penale della Corte di Cassazione

La sentenza n. 23967 della I Sezione Penale della Corte di Cassazione, depositata il 19 giugno 2007, ha stabilito che gli avvocati (quindi i loro sostituti e investigatori privati) non possono svolgere indagini difensive all’estero che abbiano rilevanza processuale, poiché l’unico modo di acquisire dall’estero prove valide è quello di farle precedere dalla rogatoria internazionale. Procedura attivabile solo dal Pubblico Ministero e dal Giudice per le Indagini Preliminari nelle forme previste dal Codice di Procedura penale.

Il caso specifico la sentenza si riferisce a un’organizzazione criminale bulgara di rapitori e sfruttatori di minorenni, indagati a lungo dalla Direzione Distrettuale Antimafia attraverso intercettazioni e grazie alla collaborazione di un infiltrato. Le indagini portarono tra l’altro all’imputazione a riduzione in schiavitù (ex Art. 600 del Codice Penale) delle persone coinvolte.
Contro le prove raccolte dalla D.D.A. (salvo lettura dei rapporti investigativi e degli atti processuali) appare alquanto disperata l’iniziativa della Difesa di ascoltare e raccogliere la deposizione di una minorenne in Bulgaria, che avrebbe scagionato gli imputati. Dopo questa sentenza una soluzione in casi analoghi potrebbe consistere nell’invitare in Italia la persona da ascoltare (salvo il rischio d’essere accusati di subornazione di testimone per aver coperto le sue spese di trasferta). Tuttavia non bisogna dimenticare che i “colloqui non documentati”, eseguiti dall’investigatore privato autorizzato, oppure le dichiarazioni scritte, ottenute dal difensore e/o dal suo sostituto (ex Art.li 391-bis e 391-ter), sono viste dalle Autorità inquirenti con preconcetta suspicione anche quando si svolgono in Italia.
Per ovviare a tale disparità tra Accusa e Difesa, l’esperienza ci ha insegnato a videoregistrare sempre ciascun colloquio non documentato. Un buon video, eseguito secondo rigorosi protocolli, può essere acquisito come prova valida in giudizio, serve a dimostrare d’aver agito nel rispetto della legge e può essere mostrato al magistrato per convincerlo d’incaricarsi di un accertamento a favore dell’imputato.

Scarica il PDF della sentenza

Published on: 10 Dec 2008

• Tecnologia e Giurisprudenza vengono in aiuto della nostra sicurezza Dalla tecnologia e dalla giurisprudenza sono arrivate due buone notizie per la tutela del cittadino.

Tecnologia e Giurisprudenza vengono in aiuto della nostra sicurezza

Dalla tecnologia e dalla giurisprudenza sono arrivate due buone notizie per la tutela del cittadino.

La tecnologia ha messo ha punto dei nuovi antifurti che in pochi secondi riempiono di una coltre fumogena impenetrabile i locali o gli abitacoli visitati dai ladri. Il fumo è inoffensivo (odora leggermente di mentolo per essere distinguibile da un fumo di origine incendiaria), ma impedisce al ladro di proseguire nel suo intento, poiché non gli permette di vedere a un palmo di naso.
In combinazione con l’antifurto al fumo si può utilizzare una sirena i cui suoni, agendo sui timpani umani, sono stati studiati per provocare temporaneo disorientamento e malessere, pur essendo anche questi del tutto inoffensivi.
L’idea è geniale se si pensa che le statistiche indicano i ladri in grado di fare il loro danno peggiore nei primi minuti del furto e spesso anche in presenza di allarmi convenzionali. La soluzione è molto utile anche contro le rapine nelle ville.
L’apparecchiatura ha un costo intorno ai 2.000 euro.
Per approfondimenti visitate il sito del produttore: http://www.biomoticinternational.com. Oppure: http://www.smoke-screen.co.uk/.

Da una sentenza di cassazione invece arriva un aiuto alla prevenzione attraverso la videosorveglianza, troppo spesso accusata a sproposito di violare la privacy del cittadino: è legittimo videosorvegliare le parti comuni condominiali non protette. La Suprema Corte di Cassazione, quinta sezione penale, con la sentenza n. 44156 del 26.11.2008 ha affermato che non viola la privacy dei vicini chi installa un impianto di videosorveglianza sul proprio balcone, estendendo la visuale anche a una piccola porzione dell’area di proprietà dei vicini di casa. Questa sentenza tiene finalmente conto della microcriminalità dilagante (che per gli abitanti di un condominio è macrocriminalità) e dei numerosi casi di truffa o aggressione agli anziani in casa.

Scarica il PDF della sentenza

Published on: 08 Mar 2009

• Consigli per prevenire e affrontare la sottrazione dei figli da parte del coniuge. La globalizzazione ha portato alla formazione di sempre più numerose coppie internazionali e l\\\’internazionalizzazione delle coppie aumenta e complica i casi di sottrazione dei figli da parte della madre o del padre. Ecco qualche consiglio per affrontar

La globalizzazione ha portato alla formazione di sempre più numerose coppie internazionali e l\\\'internazionalizzazione delle coppie aumenta e complica i casi di sottrazione dei figli da parte della madre o del padre. Ecco qualche consiglio per affrontar

In fase preventiva sarebbe molto utile conoscere il più possibile sul conto del proprio coniuge, anche se proveniente da paesi lontani. Prima dell’unione, se possibile, organizzate un viaggio conoscitivo dei luoghi e dei familiari della vostra metà.
Durante la vostra relazione evitate che il partner abbia “suoi spazi”, di cui non conoscete nulla e dai quali siete categoricamente esclusi. Ad esempio: se lei esce a ballare con le amiche, è bene che conosciate chi sono e dove vanno. E che ogni tanto possiate aggregarvi.
Quando siete in fase di separazione non sottovalutate mai i rischi di fuga del coniuge coi vostri figli. Limitate le possibilità di sottrazione con la vostra presenza, sorvegliando preventivamente il coniuge e tenendo sotto controllo la prole. Se possibile inserite un localizzatore satellitare all’interno del giocattolo preferito di vostro figlio.
Non tardate a dare l’allarme in caso di contrattempi: quasi sempre l’ipotesi peggiore è quella che si è verificata. Ma non confidate troppo nella prontezza delle Istituzioni:
- quando i bambini scompaiono con un genitore la reazione istituzionale nell’immediato è pressoché nulla. Specialmente se la sottrazione è avvenuta ad opera della madre;
- la sottrazione di minore da parte del coniuge ha scarsissima rilevanza penale, che scompare completamente oltre confine. Sono scarse le speranze di ottenere giustizia anche qualora il coniuge venga imputato di rapimento di minore;
- le ricerche del coniuge rapitore da parte delle Autorità sono quasi sempre inefficaci e lunghe. Preparatevi a rivedere la prole dopo anni. Quando rivedrete i vostri figli, aspettatevi la perdita di buona parte della vostra posizione genitoriale, per effetto della lontananza e dell’influenza del loro rapitore;
- gli interventi consolari non hanno mai carattere coercitivo e spesso allarmano e rendono irreperibile il coniuge anziché informarvi sulle condizioni dei minori.
È dunque consigliabile non fare affidamento solo sugli interventi legali a vostro favore, che devono essere comunque intrapresi tempestivamente a tutela dei vostri diritti di genitore.Nel fare ciò è consigliabile rivolgersi ad un avvocato specializzato in minori e diritto internazionale. Attualmente uno dei legali più addentro in tali materie è l’Avvocatessa Manuela Tirini di Bologna dello Studio www.tirinigrassi.it. A completamento dell’azione legale è consigliabile intraprendere le seguenti iniziative:
- dedicatevi personalmente al rintraccio del coniuge e dei vostri figli. Una volta rintracciati, trovate il modo di andare a visitarli periodicamente in modo ufficiale o ufficioso, per verificare lo stato della prole;
- individuate i punti deboli del coniuge e usateli per intavolare una trattativa consensuale di affidamento congiunto. Nella trattativa fate intervenire un mediatore scelto tra i vostri amici comuni di quando eravate insieme al partner;
- audio e videoregistrate qualsiasi contatto avuto col coniuge o con i suoi familiari dopo il rapimento, per evitare accuse infondate e ottenere eventuali prove a vostro favore;
- comprate i domini, riconducibili al cognome del coniuge rapitore, e aprite un sito web per raccontare la vostra storia e denunciare il comportamento scorretto del coniuge;
- evitate d’intraprendere iniziative di recupero dei vostri figli che possano mettere a repentaglio la loro sicurezza o tentare colpi di testa che vi facciano passare dalla parte del torto.

Published on: 29 Sep 2008

How to prevent robberies The subject of robberies in the home is typical of the summer, Christmas and other holiday seasons and unfortunately it is only dealt with in on such occasions and then there is no more said about it.

The subject of robberies in the home is typical of the summer, Christmas and other holiday seasons and unfortunately it is only dealt with in on such occasions and then there is no more said about it.

In Italy, few preventative measures are taken and citizens tend to put up security doors and alarm systems only after they have been victims of a robbery.

Moreover, considering the enormous offering within the marketplace, it is difficult to choose an anti-theft plant and protective measures that are really suitable for eliminating the risk of unpleasant surprises.
Before installing adequate protection in your home or business it is a good idea to find out personally about the technology that is currently available on the market.

It is easy to get your hands on some specialised magazines or to visit Internet sites that deal with the subject in a comprehensible manner. In this way you will become used to finding out about alarms just as you might read a magazine about cars to find out about what is available in the latest series of a particular car or your future purchase.

When proceeding with the installation of protection systems and alarms it is always better to refer to a technician with good references, whom you won’t have to rely on completely because you will have read up on the subject yourself. It will be like going to purchase a new car knowing well the model you have in mind and the cylinders that are suitable for your needs, without being influenced by the first crock salesman.

When choosing a security system it is also a good idea to bear the following points in mind:

Ease of use
It is better to have a few false alarms rather than no alarm when it’s necessary
The alarm will have to sound as soon as the potential thief attempts an intrusion, when he is still operating from the outside, in order to discourage such action with the sound of the sirens or other deterrents.
Apart from the alarm itself, it is a good idea to set up a connection that transmits the emergency to the operations unit of a security institute or at least your own mobile phone. In fact, alarm sirens are regularly ignored by neighbours who only believe them to be a temporary annoyance; their function is in fact to annoy potential thieves, who could be professional enough to be able to de-activate them in a few seconds.
Given that the most modern thieves also study the various types of alarms available, it is always a good idea to install more than one, that will be activated in a combination with the others and to make them as personalised as possible.
Ensure that you have adequate technical assistance and that the company that installs your alarm system offers an emergency maintenance service.

Your own daily routine may also be a determining factor in preventing a robbery in your home:
Always activate the alarm, even if you are only going out for a few hours or part of an hour
If you leave your home or business for an extended period do not make it so evident or easily visible
During extended absences remove all particularly valuable objects, putting them into a safety deposit box, the safe of a security company or give them to a friend to mind (someone who will guarantee that they will be kept safely).
Each time that you a notice suspect presence in your area note down the characteristics of such (description, registration plate of the vehicle etc.) and inform your local Police Force.

Published on: 26 Jul 2004

• Defending yourself from lies and harassment You may find yourself in a situation with no way out – accused unlawfully of something or you may be a victim who is consistently ignored.

You may find yourself in a situation with no way out - accused unlawfully of something or you may be a victim who is consistently ignored.

You may find yourself in the dramatic situation of being accused unlawfully of something or of being a victim who is ignored or not believed. This kind of situation may appear to have no way out at the beginning but such situations can often be resolved simply with the use of an inexpensive mini-tape recorder.

It is true that the privacy laws prohibit you from recording anything without the consent of your interlocutor but it is also true that listening to such a recording in an extra-judicial controversy could resolve a lot.
Let’s take a look at a few examples. When you are carrying out particularly delicate business dealings, a tape recorder may be useful for your own protection at every meeting. Such has often been useful in eliminating the risk of being dragged into legal action regarding people who had tried to involve their partner in business dealings in order to further their own illegal operations.
People who work in an office where they are subject to sexual harassment by other colleagues or superiors are often taken for liars, looked on with suspicion, especially if the molester has a good reputation, a little tape recorder could eliminate much doubt and give the victim back a sense of serenity.
It has often occurred that people who were accused unjustly had confidential conversations with their accuser and by recording such conversations, they obtained documentation on the false testimony of their accuser and the reasons for the same. If you receive threats or are the victim of slander it is a good idea to record and store such for the lawsuit that will follow, especially if such threats or slanderous words are recorded deliberately on a telephone answering machine.
Without exaggeration, on the market you will find micro-recorders that are about the same size as a packet of cigarettes and the cost of such equipment can range from 50 Euro to 400 Euro approximately and such equipment can solve a various different situations.
Let’s take a look at the kind of characteristics a tape-recorder should have if it is to be considered really useful:

Complete silence in all of its functions. Before using such equipment, it is very important to remember to turn down the volume completely, firstly because the microphone input volume regulates itself independently from that for listening and if you should forget to turn down the latter, any kind of magnetic interference, such as a mobile phone, could cause the recorder to emit suspect noises.
Vocal activation. This means that the equipment will be turned on and set for recording, but it will only begin recording when it perceives a sound. This function has the disadvantage that at the beginning of each recording we lose the first syllable of each word.
Recording autonomy. As regards magnetic cassette recorders, it is better if they have a reduced speed function and if they can record for an hour and a half with a 90-minute cassette, if they have an auto-reverse function they will record for up to 3 hours. Although they are much more expensive, digital recorders can record for several hours according to the memory that they have.
Battery life. If you want to be sure of excellent functioning quality, it is a good idea to change the batteries after each full cassette recording or at least after every 3 full cassette recordings. You can however purchase equipment complete with a battery consumption indicator.
Reduced dimensions, to be easily concealed. When locating the apparatus be sure that the microphone is not obstructed, if it is kept in a bag then be sure to keep the bag open. Or you must have an additional microphone facing out of the bag. If you are recording from your pocket ensure that it is not closed with zips or other closures. During recording you must remain immobile, so as not cause interference due to the rustling caused by your clothing.
It is very important to know your recording equipment well and to have tested it on various occasions before using it in real situations, in order to be able to best benefit from its characteristics.
If you want to be extra cautious, you can use two recorders in case one of the two should not function correctly.

Published on: 28 Jul 2004

How to behave if attacked by a dog

Some advice on how to escape from canine aggression

I would like to state in advance that we are all animal and especially dog lovers here in the agency, just think that my managers are vegetarians and they even believe that all animals have a soul. I don’t want to get into discussing the recent controversy regarding the actions of Minister Sirchia and the negative press campaign regarding our four legged friends nor do I want to try to take the place of dog trainers.
I will limit what I say to a view pieces of advice on how to escape from canine aggression, believing myself to be an expert on this subject as detectives often have to deal with ferocious dogs, given that we often invade their territory.
When I see a dog running towards me with hostile intentions I only run away if I am certain of having a good probability of being able to run to safety, otherwise I would find myself having to face him a few metres on, after having stimulated his predatory instinct and having increased his sense of certainty that he is stronger than me.
If I am unable to escape, I wait for the dog without moving, without ever looking at him in the eyes, almost pretending to ignore him. In such cases if the dog is trained he will stop beside me, barking, he will wait for me to move before biting me. I then try to remain immobile and I call his owner, without screaming in a hysterical manner, to come and take his animal away.
If the dog should jump towards me to bite me, I will hold out my bag to him (even if it is a designer bag, it is still much less expensive than plastic surgery) or some folded garment, or anything that might remind him of the “muff” that he was used to tearing at when being trained. In this way he will become distracted, I should not allow him to suddenly tear the muff that I am using away from me, otherwise he could come back and attack me.
During such an operation I will try to speak to the dog in a low, calm voice, paying him the usual compliments: “Good doggie”, “Good boy, lie down now”…etc…
The following can be a very useful deterrent to be used on an angry dog:
Anti-aggression spray, but for animals curing spray is better; I have also encountered good results with mosquito spray.
In sudden situations I have used my bottle of spray perfume, that I always keep in my bag (and it’s a good thing that my managers didn’t hesitate to reimburse me for such a costly defence).
Anti-aggression sirens and stadium sirens
Another precaution, which is a favourite among my bosses, is to always carry some doggie biscuits with you, to quickly befriend your aggressor.
Detective SW

Published on: 28 Jul 2004

• Firearms and self-defence.

Recent crime news stories, which made the summer of 2003 a rather bloody one and that led Minister Castelli to debates and arguments regarding the possession of firearms and their use for legitimate defence, have led to merely technical reflection.

Those who possess firearms for legitimate defence must know that there is absolutely no point in possessing a firearm if you do not follow courses and regularly attend practical firing grounds, in order to become fully confident with your own firearm and with the typical situation of a possible shoot-out.
Practical firing grounds are specifically equipped to simulate real situations, in which the targets are often moving and shooting often comes about in stressful situations.
Signing up for a target shooting course where you shoot as you wish and at a single target that is fixed in one position, is like buying a motor-cycle and training to ride it in your own back yard to prepare for the world championships against Valentino Rossi.

Along with the use and the management of a firearm, the shooter should be able to develop a certain level of self-control, as though he or she were practising a Japanese marital art, so as to be able to face any possible critical situation with a certain sense of detachment and to be able to succeed in applying the legal and above all, moral principles, of self-defence. For his own peace of mind, his own safety and his own legal peace of mind, during an unfortunate shoot-out, a good “shooter” and a good citizen must not allow anger or indeed a desire for revenge to get hold of him, as though it were a car race (you tried to overtake me and drive me off the road and now I’m going to make you eat dust”), like saying: “You tried to kill me and now I’m going to make you pay”).

I believe that almost all situations where there is a risk of robbery or theft, may be avoided by the use of passive technological defence mechanisms such as armour plating, alarm systems, good habits, etc…
Possessing a firearm to be used to react to a robbery in fact is not always a good security measure, starting a shoot-out actually increases the risks.

If the weapon is kept for self-defence purposes (aggression with the aim of homicide, kidnapping, injury or rape), then it is a good idea to bear the following in mind:
Always keeping your gun loaded may seem like a bad habit, but in reality it is a good idea to ensure your own survival and safety. If you always keep the bullet ready to be fired in the barrel of the gun that you are “carrying ”, accidental shots will never occur, due to you forgetting to have loaded the bullet as you will know that the firearm has already been loaded. In a situation where you have to defend yourself, it is often the case that people who are victims of an attack lose valuable time trying to load their gun before being able to react, these people are often killed.
Avoid firearms with complicated and laborious safety latches, or even better, avoid manual safety latches. When faced with the stressful situation of an aggression, I could also number as many people who have been killed while shooting blanks with the safety latch inserted on their firearm.
Do not use firearms that are too small, although such weapons may be easier to carry, a gun of reduced dimensions looses its deterrent quality. I know of numerous attacks that ended up in bloody situations because the ignorant criminal didn’t think that a small “chief” calibre magnum 357 would have injured him
Choose an average sized calibre, I would advise something between a 38 special and a 45 HP.
With a calibre that is too small you run the risk of shooting at your aggressor but failing to stop him, and vice versa, a very powerful calibre is difficult to manage manually and upon firing, it may even penetrate persons and things, injuring innocent passers-by.

Moreover, not everyone knows that;

If you calculate the average number of shots fired during any shoot-out for self-defence, the aggressor never usually fires more than three, there is therefore no point in carrying firearms with large loads, which are both heavy and uncomfortable.
I would say that five – eight shots are sufficient.
Large calibre revolvers, especially those with a short barrel, produce a flame when they are fired this flame may temporarily blind or burn the person firing the shot.
When shooting with a semi-automatic firearm in emergency and stressful conditions it is often the case that the person who fires the shot injures his own hand with the barrel of the gun he is firing.
Shooting in closed environments without ear protection may cause serious hearing damage and a sort of temporary deafness, making one’s self-defence less effective
After having stopped an aggressor, even if he seems harmless, it is a good idea to remove all weapons from him or other possibilities that he may have for a second reaction, which is the cause of numerous injuries according to statistics.
It is extremely dangerous to shoot into the air in order to intimidate someone, the bullet could hit someone on the higher floor of a building in the city centre, or fall on an innocent bystander, killing them, even if they are up to one hundred metres away.
If it is necessary to fire a warning shot, it is a better idea to aim at the ground or at something else, as long as the surface area in question is soft enough to be able to absorb the bullet and retain it.
The sensation of killing a person is worse than you might ever imagine.

Published on: 26 Jul 2004

• How to eliminate the risk of people who live alone or elderly people being the victims of con men.

With the introduction of the Euro, news of cons involving people who live alone or elderly people are becoming more and more common.

The new currency in fact, gives con men yet another pretext to be used to approach weak victims and trick them.

Various and quite often imaginative excuses are employed to approach the victim, these are mainly:

some fake bank clerks arrive at your home to change your money
fake policemen have to verify if the money that you have in your home is counterfeit or real
con men tell you that you are the lucky winner of a large sum of money, or that you have received a large inheritance, but you have to give them some guarantees in order to be able to access such
False postal workers, municipal workers, Electricity board workers, Gas Company workers etc…come to your home with various different excuses, to establish contact with the victim.

Let’s take a schematic look at how this kind of con is perpetrated and what preventative and behavioural measures we can adopt in order to avoid being the victims of such.

The con man will appear well groomed and well dressed, quite distinct, kind – never judge a book by its cover, appearance is not always what it seems.

The con man will attempt to approach his victim by impersonating an institutional figure or a prestigious personality, in order to create a sense of trust and deference in his victim, but real institutional figures or important personalities would never go to the home of a citizen or stop someone on the street to request a collaboration (they would convoke this person to the Ministry, Bank, Municipal Offices or Offices of the Regional authorities etc…)

The con man will demand that the operation proposed be concluded immediately, since he is aware of the fact that time is not in his favour (the victim could think more reasonably or speak to someone else about the matter, having time to think it over), a golden rule in business is to always ask for more time when your interlocutor asks you to conclude the proposed operation rapidly.

Sometimes a con man will use a kind of hypnosis on his victim as soon as he has established a personal contact. In this manner he will manage to rob the house of its contents undisturbed or order his victim to go to the bank and withdraw money.

Therefore:
If you are stopped on the street by someone with an unclear excuse, interrupt the contact quickly, do not allow the other person to embrace or touch you (for example: “hold on to me madam, I’ll help you to cross the road”), as physical contact often forms part of the hypnosis techniques.
Observe your interlocutor carefully, take the registration plate of the car that they are travelling in
If possible, try to involve other people in the conversation, call a family member or go to a friend’s house, someone who might be able to have better control of the situation
If your interlocutor tells you a story or pretends to be the employee of a public entity or a family friend, check out this immediately before proceeding in the conversation
Never open the door to strangers if you are home alone
Always get visitors to explain the reason for their visit over the intercom or the telephone and call the Police at the slightest suspicion.
Never fear that you are being ill mannered or too mistrustful
Never keep large sums of money or valuables in your home
Arrange with your bank for the withdrawal of large sums of money to be subject to the joint signature of at least one other family member (the bank should be vigilant on anomalous withdrawals, but these often go unchecked, in some cases the con man even hypnotised the cashier or the bank cashier was an accomplice to the con).

When you realise that you have been conned it is very important to intervene in good time:
do not interfere with the scene of the con so as to allow for fingerprints to be found or indeed other elements
reconstruct the con in the tiniest details
draw an identikit of the con man and examine the Police photos carefully trying to recall every minimum element that might characterise the con men.
Go over the route taken and try to get witnesses to the event or video recordings (for example in the bank or in the surroundings the con man may have been filmed by the security cameras).

Lastly, although an appetising victim for a con such as those described above, an elderly person who lives alone becomes a very difficult and dangerous target for the potential con man if his home is visited regularly by family members, if he lives with a dog and if he has security cameras installed in his home.

How to defend yourself from terror sent by mail.

With the recurrence of Islamic terrorism, even if the danger is really remote in Italy, it is good to know how to avoid being the victim of unpleasant surprises sent by post.

Recently invented anthrax letters and the more outdated paper or letter bombs represent such dangers.

ANTHRAX LETTERS

1) Whoever collects the post and is first to examine it should do so wearing latex gloves and an anti-bacteria face mask (for example a mask such as the FFP-S2 type may be suitable, even though it is described as an “anti-asbestos dust mask”), both of which are available in pharmacies. Even if you use protective gloves, it would be better to initially manage each envelope with a set of tweezers (so as not to interfere too much with possible fingerprints that may be found within the envelope).

2) During the initial examination of incoming mail, pay particular attention to envelopes that do not bear the name of the sender or that have an unknown sender name, or envelopes that are open or torn.

3) Anthrax is a fine white powder

4) If you should come across it in an envelope or a parcel you should act as follows:
place the finding in a transparent plastic bag
take a photograph of or take note of what is written on the envelope and the postal stamps that it contains
put everything into a rigid, watertight and airtight plastic container.
Do not move or transport the suspect item, but immediately inform the local authorities (Police, Health Services, and the special branch of the Carabinieri).
The finding will then be taken away by qualified personnel to a sanitary structure with an autoclave for thermal treatment.
After having examined and treated it, the local authorities will have to send the finding on to the Zooprophilactic Institute of Foggia.

5) If you come into physical contact with anthrax powder it is essential to go to hospital and undergo immediate medical treatment.

6) It is necessary to treat the contaminated area with granules of dichloro isocyanurate or calcium hypochlorite (solid bleach) for a period of at least five days subsequent to the contamination. Alternatively, you may use sodium hypochlorite or large quantities of concentrated bleach (at least 10-15 times the quantity of the anthrax powder).

LETTER BOMBS AND PAPER BOMBS

Carefully examine any letter or parcel before opening it.

Beware of correspondence sent bearing no sender name or with the name of an unknown sender, simple letters or letters that are particularly consistent or indeed parcels.

Do not handle or open any letter or parcel in too rough a manner and do not follow the most normal system or instructions for opening such.

Inform the Police as soon as you have any suspicion and move the suspect item as little as possible.

Before opening any suspect item, with the use of technical precautions (an explosion box etc…) or improvised measures (natural protective measures, sticks etc…) photograph and note down what’s written on the outside of the parcel or letter and take note of the postal stamps, before attempting to open it.

Carry out all these operations wearing safety goggles, protective gloves and with a fire extinguisher close to hand.

Lastly, we would also like to deal with the area of anonymous letters containing threats or insults, which are certainly a more common occurrence in Italy.
If you want to have some hope of discovering the author of such messages, it is essential that you handle them with care, opening them and unfolding them using a tweezers so as not to interfere with any fingerprints that may be present.

• Suggestions and considerations regarding paedophilia prevention

In these few lines we have outlined some general suggestions regarding the behaviour to adopt in order to best protect minors.

Adults can protect their children or young family members in general from the unpleasant experience of paedophilia at different levels and in different manners.

In these few lines we have outlined some general suggestions regarding the behaviour to adopt in order to best protect minors.

Let us summarise therefore what “types of paedophiles” are circulating and the preventative precautions to be adopted. There are paedophiles who have erotic fantasies that they express exclusively with children or young adolescents (the so called “preferentials”). These are actually the least treacherous as they are the easiest to identify, they have easily recognisable behavioural and social characteristics:
in general they are not married, they live alone or with their parents or grandparents
they have serious difficulties in relationships with partners of their own age
even if they are married, it is most likely that they have contracted a “coverage” marriage with a partner who represents a parent figure more than anything else

Among these, there are those who have a maniacal approach to the child, those who know how to “court” their victim kindly and ably and lastly, those who kidnap the child to abuse him or her. Kidnapping is often the consequence of a previous contact, be it either kind or rough.

Defence from this kind of paedophile comes about by means of:
constant vigilance on the young person
finding out about anyone who has contact with the young person (baby-sitter, friends, educators, trainers etc…)
surveillance of the behaviour of the adults who interact with the young person
give the young person a localisation apparatus (inserting it into their favourite teddy bear for example) and as soon as the child is a little older, give them a mobile phone or another passive and active means of defence.
As soon as the child is able to understand, it is a good idea to explain to them the dangers of certain people and to educate them to mistrust wisely.
Maintain a confidential relationship with the young person which must be such that the child feels able to share his / her thoughts with you rather than closing himself up.

Then there are occasional paedophiles (the so-called “situational” paedophiles) who do not have a sexual preference for children or young adolescents only, but who take advantage of young victims when urged by particular impulses in favourable situations.

These are actually more dangerous and treacherous than “preferential” paedophiles because they are harder to identify. They are well inserted into the social context, with a normal sexual and sentimental life. They are often quite pleasant and communicative people, in some cases they suffer from mental retardation or senile dementia, but they are well inserted into society all the same, having given no signs of danger prior to the abuse.

The precautions in this case are the same as those that are listed above with more regard for the confidential relationship between parents and children, especially when they are a little older and discrete and constant vigilance is extremely important as regards younger children.

As an example of discrete and constant vigilance: three children, two boys aged between 3 and 6 and a girl aged 9 that were part of the one family, were entrusted to a young babysitter during certain hours of the day and evening. The girl, who was in her early twenties, had a boyfriend aged twenty-four, a student, perfectly inserted into society and considered to be a good guy, who often came to visit her when she was working. He inevitably also visited the three children, and in good faith, his girlfriend often left him in charge of them when she went off to buy them some treat or other or when she would go down to the cellar to get a bottle of water.
The twenty-four year old began a dangerous courtship game with the nine-year old girl. Fortunately her parents had a video-recording system with micro-cameras installed in their home, to monitor and prevent any possible dangers to the detriment of the little kids.
The irresponsible behaviour of the baby-sitter’s boyfriend was found out in time and both were banished from contact with the family of three.

Lastly, it is very important to consider that:
the majority of sexual abuse carried out by paedophiles comes about among family members and people who are known to the family
It is important not to be under the illusion that an unknown adult, although morally upright, will always be willing to intervene to defend your child in cases where they see that the latter is in danger. It is often the case that people prefer to look the other way and pretend that they saw nothing.
Sometimes the crime in question is so absurd and perhaps committed by a person who was believed to be morally correct, that it is difficult to identify these people and therefore prevent such happenings but it is also difficult to incriminate such people due to a disordered defence reaction by the young victim’s family.
If one of your children is the unfortunate victim of a paedophile it is important to contact a specialised police force in cases of such crimes and it is vital to have the young victim undergo tests carried out by expert psychologists.

Published on: 28 Jul 2004

• Prevention and defence in cases of robberies in villas.

How can we limit the risks of aggression and damage in the case of attacks in our home?

The latest episodes of crime news that have featured people being kidnapped from their homes or from their car, have left almost all citizens feeling quite unprepared, unused as they are to so much violence and poorly organised for their own security.

In other countries, where assaults in people’s private homes have been the order of the day for years, citizens are far more organised and ready to deal with such emergencies.

Let’s take a brief look at how we can limit the risks of aggression and damage, in cases where we are victims of aggression:

Equip the house with all the necessary safety measures (alarms, security doors, bars, air conditioning systems and video-surveillance systems etc…) availing of the advice of a trusted expert.
Do not open the door so readily to strangers who arrive suddenly with the most varied motivations
Do not show your state of agitation, which may always lead the potential aggressor into temptation. When you have to give a tip to a deliveryman or pay a supplier, avoid doing so by opening safes in front of them or showing where your money is kept.
Before welcoming a guest into your home, entrusting your garden to a gardener, or employing a domestic aid, find out about their behaviour and the people they frequent.
If you decide to get a guard dog, know that when a male dog gets the scent of a bitch in heat he will loose his sense of duty completely. Having only one guard dog as a form of security for your home is almost completely useless, it is always better to have two or three of them (they will support each other and face a potential aggressor in a more self-assured manner, feeling like a pack). Whatever kind of dog you use to defend or guard your home, he must be trained in the presence of his owner when he is aged between 8 and 18 months old (the age in which a dog can learn the most), without resorting to fear or pain. Lastly, every dog has his own disposition and large dogs that belong to ill-famed races, as much as they would like to, are not courageous and ferocious enough to know how to defend their owner and his property.
If you hold a fire-arm for your own safety, you must consider that it is not sufficient to just purchase a fire-arm in order to know how to defend yourself with it, you must frequent a firing range and learn how to use it from shooting courses. When armed, you must ponder any kind of reaction well, reacting to an aggressor will often cause more damage than what the aggression itself might have caused. It is a good idea not to react unless you have a 90% chance of being stronger than your aggressor, moreover, you should only resort to firearms if your life or that of your family members is in put in direct danger during an aggression. The unpleasant sensation of having been the victim of an attack will never be as unpleasant as that of having killed a man, even if he was a criminal.
Silent alarms or sirens can often be much more useful than firearms, as is the case for pre-recorded voices and sounds, anti-aggression sprays and tear gas devices. Arrange some objects and money “ready to give” to a potential aggressor so as to satisfy him and ensure he leaves you alone.
Lastly, it is vitally important for you to collaborate with the Police Force, informing them in a timely manner of any suspect presence, taking registration plate numbers and providing a physical description.

Published on: 28 Jul 2004

Rules and behaviour for counter-espionage

Basic principals to ensure that your business is safe from espionage.

Industrial and commercial espionage is an old phenomenon, as old as commerce and industry themselves

It is quite difficult to prevent company secrets from being snatched and used by competitors and such an effort will often require the constant work of an investigative agency or a specialist in this field.

There is however a series of basic principals on which company safety from espionage can be based:

the majority of confidential information theft does not come about by means of the use of sophisticated equipment (bugs etc…) but rather due to disloyal collaborators, it is therefore vitally important that you choose your collaborators well, it is important to ensure that there is a relationship with a reciprocal climate of esteem and satisfaction, and it is also important to constantly check up on them (even the most trusted ones).
Have each candidate checked out before employment
Have them sign a non-competitiveness contract prior to employing them, avail of the consultancy of a specialised lawyer.
Never leave complete information in the hands of a single collaborator, especially in cases where such information is of vital importance for the company (for example: a mechanical technician who is responsible for the mechanical part of the construction of a piece of equipment that is made up of mechanical and electronic components must not even come into contact with the electronic diagrams of the same piece of equipment. It is even better if he knows only a part of the mechanical aspect of the piece of equipment being built).
Never leave important commercial and institutional contacts in the hands of collaborators (in other words only the activity manager should deal with the largest and most important clients).
Make sure that all of the reserved areas and important company archives have an electronic trace and that they can be checked, also all office equipment, such as photocopiers, faxes, telexes, computers and telephones should be checked (this does not mean that telephone calls will be intercepted but you should have some kind of device that records the telephone calls made, the number of photocopies made and how much a determined computer is used etc…)
Check areas and telephones on a periodical basis in order to ensure the absence of bugs
Immediately remove any suspect person from the company
Train your collaborators to avoid chatting about their work or about internal company affairs too much.
Immediately isolate collaborators who are suspected of disloyalty before they cause vital information leaks to the detriment of the company.

Published on: 28 Jul 2004

• Defending yourself from fraud

Some useful considerations to protect yourself from cons and fraud

Those of you who have been victims of a con in Italy will most certainly have realised that Italian law can do little to punish cons and fraud and it actually seems to be prepared to favour con-men rather than punish them.

First of all, issuing bad cheques, an offence which was already punished in a ridiculously lenient manner in the past, is no longer a criminal offence.

Bills of exchange, by their very nature, are easily adaptable to the virtuosity of con-men, they do not give any guarantees regarding the identity of the person who signs them, so much so that the protest bulletins of the Chamber of Commerce are full of bad debts with “illegible signature” or “unknown at this address”.

Not to mention the crime of fraud, which is difficult to prove both due to the astute nature of the criminals who operate in this sector and due to the thousands of loopholes that the law itself offers such criminals, to cover their true intentions.

I have never known of a con man who spent more than one week in jail for the crimes he was found guilty of.

It seems to be a veritable farce, to the detriment of the victims of fraud. It is however very important to prevent fraud, avoiding con-men, rather than hoping that Justice will prevail after having been the victim of such a crime.

Let’s take a look at a few rules to bear in mind in order to avoid falling into the trap of a con-man:

- Don’t trust bargains that seem too good to be true and beware of very high deposits to be paid.

- Beware of people who give you a sum of money but fail to count it or even discuss the price, beware of people who sign cheques or bills of exchange too readily
- Beware of gaudy ostentation of wealth, remember that wealth is not a synonym of honesty or generosity
- Even with your oldest clients, beware of orders for merchandise that are tenfold the amounts ordered previously, especially when accompanied by requests for more flexible payment terms
- Beware of information requested via the bank. If a bank has a client with outstanding credit, it will be more likely to favour that client with letters of credit so that increasing his activity he might be able to pay off his credit with that bank itself.
- Beware of managing directors of large companies who are elderly, without any specific, extensive experience in the field, (once over 65 years of age it is quite unlikely that they will be sent to jail and a “figure head” who is over seventy years of age is safer as such a person does not need to fear being sent to jail), or beware of managing directors who seem too young, if they are not “daddy’s boys’ or young prodigies (it is easier to elude a young person regarding a promising career, giving him or her administrative duties that are only for show).
- Beware of companies whose managing directors are external to the company and absent from the company, and who do not conduct the activity but delegate it to “managers” without supervising them directly.
If your “suspect” client asks you to visit him or her on appointment, find an excuse to go to visit them unannounced, especially at the beginning or the end of the day. You might find an invisible office.
- Never conclude any transaction hurriedly, either if it is proposed to you hurriedly or within normal terms
- When dealing with large commercial operations or business, have several trusted and experienced professionals examine the situation first, ensuring that such professionals have no part in the deal (therefore that they are objective in their judgement).
- Always gather accurate information on those whom you are doing business with and update such information on a periodical basis, especially when beginning new deals.

Remember that can men have the ability to play with people’s emotions, in fact, the illusion of closing an advantageous deal and the emotion that comes with it makes victims of such fraud quite vulnerable.

Logical thinking, prudence and a good dose of pessimism are essential ingredients if you want to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Published on: 28 Jul 2004

• Self-Defence for women

In this issue we would like to speak about self-defence for women with an expert, Master Angelo AIROLI, 5th Dan in Karate and Renshi di Goshindo, Karate instructor and security consultant.

Master Airoldi, what would you advise a woman to do in order to feel less of a target for aggression?
It is vitally important to take some steps to avoid putting oneself into danger.

And this means:
- if you are walking alone avoid wearing tight fitting clothing that single you out in the eyes of a maniac or that makes you too clumsy in your movements, such as very high heels and tight skirts
- when you are walking around make sure to appear determined and self-assured, walk with a decisive step, do not be afraid to look around carefully and to “size up” those who approach you, to not be eluded into thinking that you can discourage a possible aggressor by ignoring him, quite the opposite is the case.
- if a stranger approaches you, do not be afraid to appear bad-tempered and ill-mannered and trust your instinct
- when you are travelling by car always lock yourself in with the safety lock, in the summer turn on the air conditioning rather than leaving the windows rolled down
- never take the elevator with a stranger, always park your car in a well-lit area and near the location that you have to visit, its always better if this is in a crowded area
- on the other hand don’t elude yourself into thinking that people will be willing or effective in helping you, occasionally rapes take place in crowded areas
- do not be embarrassed to ask a male friend, with whom you went out, to accompany you to the landing of your apartment building, he should be ashamed that he did not think of doing so without being asked.
When you are out on your own, always have your mobile phone with you and turned on, with a full battery and at arm’s reach, to request help if you need it
You should always have your car keys and house keys at arm’s reach, you should never find yourself in the situation that you are rummaging for your keys alone in front of the door of your house.
If you have a license to carry a firearm, remember that it is preferable to carry a gun for self-defence, it is better to carry it on your person rather than in your handbag and this is also the case for anti-aggression spray.
Always keep your handbag closed, adherent to your body, under your arm and facing in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic or in the opposite direction to where a thief could appear.
Never keep your bag too tied on to your body, to avoid a situation where during a handbag snatch you are dragged for metres without being able to free yourself from your bag.
Never carry large sums of money with you, if you should have to carry a lot of cash with you, prepare a “theft wallet”, with a sum that is sufficient to lead a possible thief to believe that they have successfully targeted you (this will leave them satisfied and allow them to escape rapidly without any consequences).
If somebody stops you on the street to ask you information, keep at a safe distance, even if they speak in a low voice and you fail to understand what they are saying, avoid any physical contact (like a hand-shake for example) unless such is completely justified.
When at home, always lock yourself in, locking the doors in such a way that it is impossible to open the door from the outside, even with the key, or insert the safety lock.
At home during the summer it is preferable to turn on the air conditioning rather than leave the windows open, or if you do wish to open the windows have some iron bars mounted on them.
Do not open the door to anyone, not even to police officers, unless you are certain of their identity and their intentions
Even within your own home it is a good idea to evaluate the risk of attracting the attention of a maniac, avoid walking around the house naked and if it is easy to see in from the outside, put up curtains on the windows, do not go out to throw out the garbage or to sign for a parcel wearing a negligée.

What behaviour do you advise in case of aggression?
Always seek an escape route, if necessary improvise a distraction (for example: pretend to have an epileptic fit)
if you are forced to strike your aggressor, do so decidedly, using all of your strength, strike him in the weakest areas, if you are unable to escape, strike him until you are certain of having neutralised your aggressor, if you can escape, take advantage of his temporary inability.
In cases of aggression and intent to rape it may be useful to pretend to have a certain interest for your aggressor and agree to “service” him in a certain manner, this will give you the opportunity to strike him hard and surprise him.
When crying for help, shout “fire”, or use another subject that is not that of your aggression, remembering that people are normally afraid, they will not risk running to save a little girl if they have to face maniac.
Use all of the weapons that you can: your handbag, your umbrella, your shoes, your comb, your hairbrush, a pair of scissors or a nail file. But remember that excessive defence is taken into consideration quite a lot in Italy, perhaps too much in my opinion.

Are there any self-defence or martial arts courses in general that will make a woman really capable of defending herself?
Any experienced gained during a self-defence course may be useful in dangerous situations, but let us not elude ourselves into thinking that we are invincible.
Nothing is definite or absolute in this field; it depends on how each woman approaches a certain discipline, on her psychophysical characteristics.
A martial arts course or self-defence course will most certainly improve a woman’s personal abilities to fight, but I would say that it is often more important to look at improvement that can be obtained from a mental behaviour point of view rather than physical abilities.

When approaching any course it is important to bear in mind the following:
the fights that we have in the gym are quite different from those that may occur on the street
during self-defence it is important to use the strongest and best-trained parts of our body with simple, quick and powerful blows.
a woman’s delicate hands will never succeed in striking effectively. Use a blunt object to help you to strike (if your hands are not trained to strike).
I would advise you to use an anti-aggression spray as a distraction, which is also legal in Italy if used with a chilli pepper base
women are generally less muscular and lighter than men, women must therefore base the effectiveness of their defence on speed, on knowing their opponent’s weakest points, avoiding body to body fighting.

Regarding blows to be struck “simply, quickly and powerfully” is it useful to know something of the human anatomy in order to be able to strike the weakest points?
It is not necessary to know much about the human anatomy, all you need know are a few simple things, both to be able to defend yourself from your aggressor’s blows and to be able to strike him:
a blow that even slightly strikes the eye area can lead to temporary or permanent blindness. This zone must only be struck in cases of necessity for self-defence, but it is very effective.
Without much of an effort, striking the temples will lead to dizziness and loss of the senses
The area of the mouth and nose is delicate due to the cartilage and the vascular network surrounding it, if struck such will lead to a copious amount of blood loss, acute pain and dizziness.
If struck and broken, the skin around the eyebrow area will lead to a copious amount of blood loss, while not causing grave damage or invalidity.
Striking the chin violently will lead to dizziness and a loss of consciousness
The neck is quite delicate and if struck may cause fainting.
If the neck is struck violently it may cause suffocation or even fracturing of the trachea
The solar plexus (the mouth of the stomach) is rarely muscular and when struck violently it may cause strong pain and the urge to vomit.
If elbowed or struck with the tips of the fingers (only if our hands are well trained) or with a blunt object, the floating ribs can cause acute pain, if they are struck violently they could be fractured and cause injury to the lungs.
A blow to the liver can cause acute pain, inhibiting movement
The male genitals are the ideal target in situations of self-defence; an aggressor’s movement can be inhibited significantly without much effort.
The thighs may easily be targeted also due to their position and a blow to this area can cause acute pain, with a paralysing effect.
Pressure of 8kg is all that is necessary to break someone’s knee, this point is easily reachable even on a giant.

Overall, I would advise any woman who does not have particular experience in martial arts and who finds herself forced to defence herself, to strike the knee area, the genitals and the nose of her aggressor, since these are the easiest points to reach, they are effective and blows to such areas do not require extensive muscular strength.
Injuries to these areas will not be lethal; they will not cause serious or permanent injury or indeed the death of the aggressor nor will they put the victim in the undesirable position of being investigated for excessive defence.

Can you give us the names of any Internet sites or associations that women can contact to ask for help or advice?
I recommend visiting this site: www.psdm.it.
I also recommend reading the book entitled “The Gift of Fear” by Gavin De Becker.

Published on: 26 Jul 2004

• Practical solutions for preventing harassment and molestation

The phenomenon of women being harassed, either sexually or otherwise, or being threatened by strangers, or worse, by their vengeful and jealous ex-boyfriends or ex-husbands, is already sadly widespread in America but it is also on the increase here in Ita

ANONYMOUS MOLESTERS

The sex maniac who calls up his victim or molests them in a more direct manner, will always dare more and more if he is stimulated by two sensations: that of being immune from punishment and that of obtaining the aims that he has set for himself regarding his victim.

It is important therefore to avoid satisfying these criminals, loosing our head and demonstrating fear or a sense of annoyance. They are to be treated with sufficiency, avoiding threats that you will not be able to put into practice later on.

If, for example a maniac calls you up and you threaten him by saying “I’ve had the police bug this telephone” without actually having done so, he may stop calling you momentarily but then, if he does not hear the police knocking at his door, he will start harassing you again, perhaps even more insistently than before and he may even adopt precautions that will make it more difficult to identify him, even when you really do decide to have the telephone bugged.

If the telephone were actually bugged it would be a stupid idea to go and tell the maniac this, his strength lies in being anonymous. He will do everything to avoid being identified (call from public telephones or use phone cards addressed to someone else), but he will not stop calling, especially when the game gets more exciting for him due to the risks run by the increased attention that is paid to him.

All maniacs who persecute their victims anonymously are people who are very close to their victims. There have been cases where relatives of little girls were identified as their harassers; they are almost always neighbours or colleagues.

KNOWN HARASSERS

Even if you are tormented by an ex-partner or if you are subject to violent persecution perpetrated by someone you know, it is important to evaluate any kind of reaction, you must bear in mind that these are mentally unstable people, with a sense of reality that is different from normal common sense.

Harassers often become more violent upon receipt of notification that charges have been filed against them, or when somebody tries to intimidate them with threats without being able to fulfil them.

Let’s formulate some useful behavioural rules for people who wish to escape from serious cases of harassment by an ex-partner or any other kind of maniac.
If the criminal harasses you over the telephone, keep the line active with an answering machine connected and listen to his messages periodically to find out about his degree of aggressiveness.
Never answer the telephone without a telephone answering machine filter
Never answer the intercom if you are not expecting guests
Keep your official residence at an address where you don’t actually live
Keep your actual domicile a secret
Make sure that it is difficult to tell whether or not you are at home with the use of curtains, shutters and blinds.
Never leave your car parked on the street if you have a garage or always park it far from your house and in different areas
Change your habits, routes taken and times as much as possible
Try to make your harasser’s aggression towards you seem as boring as possible by studying his behaviour
Never undertake any action against your harasser unless you are certain that it will be effective. Try to create a wall between you, patiently waiting for him to get tired of harassing you.

Published on: 28 Jul 2004