Rome, June 5 (LaPresse) – The Postal Police of Rome, following investigations coordinated by the Public Prosecutor's Office of the capital, have executed a precautionary house arrest order against a 63-year-old man of Argentine nationality, accused of practicing medicine without a license and aggravated fraud. The man, without any professional qualification in Italy, pretended to be a leading expert in innovative neurological therapies, offering unspecified “stem cell transplants” to struggling families.
The investigation started from a complaint by a couple whose fifteen-year-old son suffers from a severe form of autism. Attracted by an online curriculum presenting the suspect as the personal doctor of Saint John Paul II and 34 cardinals—claims denied by investigations—the parents entrusted their son to his care.
The treatment, which lasted two years and cost €30,000 in cash, involved administration of banned, foul-smelling, and often expired substances, promoted as miraculous remedies to improve behavior and speech.
During the searches, the Postal Police and the Scientific Police of Rome's police headquarters seized 400 clinical records of patients, numerous biological samples, as well as expired and unauthorized medicines. Analyses conducted by the Higher Institute of Health confirmed the dangerousness of the substances used, which lacked any pharmaceutical approval.
The preliminary investigations judge also ordered the preventive seizure of the websites through which the fake doctor advertised his activities and sold “therapeutic” products, ordering the pages to be blocked and the domains disabled by ISPs. The investigations continue to identify all potential victims.
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