Teacher Jailed After Boy, 5, Falls To Death While Playing On Swivel Chair

A teacher has been jailed after a five-year-old boy fell over a balcony and died while playing on a swivel chair.

Leonardo Acquaviva, 5, died when he fell down a stairwell at Pirelli school in the Italian city of Milan on 18th October 2019.

The 43-year-old teacher has been sentenced to one year in prison for manslaughter after the boy’s tragic death.

Newsflash

The trial took place shortly after Judge Elisabetta Meyer accepted the request of prosecutor Maria Letizia Mocciaro.

Another school worker will reportedly face trial on 11th July after entering into a plea bargain with prosecutors.

On the day of the incident, the boy was told by a teacher that he could leave to go to the toilet at around 9.30am.

Newsflash

He reportedly got on a swivel chair and leaned over the balustrade before losing his balance and falling from a height of around 13.5 metres (44 feet).

The boy died in hospital four days later and the two school workers were accused of not supervising him properly and allowing him to go to the bathroom outside the scheduled time.

The school worker who has yet to stand trial is accused of not supervising the safety and security of the young pupil.

Newsflash

She is also accused of using her mobile phone “for personal purposes during the time he was supposed to be monitoring the floor” and moving away from her post where she might have seen the victim before he fell.

She is also suspected of leaving out the swivel chair used by the boy when he fell to his death.