Pesaro, September 15, 2026 – He was 3 years old when he fell from a playground structure and broke his arm. Today he is 24. While Niccolò was growing up, his case went through courts and appeals. His mother Katjuscia Vindici, 54 years old, never stopped fighting that battle. It was 2005. Niccolò climbed a wooden and rope structure, similar to a Swedish ladder, in the park on via Milazzo, in Pesaro. And he fell. The fracture was severe and the child underwent surgery.
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The parents turned to a lawyer and a legal battle lasting over twenty years began. During the dispute, the issue of the mother’s supervision of the child was also addressed. After a very long judicial process, the compensation finally arrived.
The Appellate Court of Ancona, last November, ruled that half of the fault lies with the Municipality, for the “anomalies of the thing,” and half with the mother, who should have supervised better, awarding 6,014.50 euros in compensation to the boy and 720.80 euros to the mother, plus revaluation and interest.
We managed to have an expert report done before the playground equipment was removed. The structure had a sign saying it was recommended for ages five and up
Mrs. Vindici, 21 years have passed. Do you still remember the moment your son fell?
“Perfectly. Niccolò was three years old. He had climbed very high on that structure. I am 1.54 meters tall and I couldn’t reach him. He practically fell right in front of me. When I picked him up, I immediately saw that his arm was broken.”
What did you feel?
“Panic. I believe he had reached about one meter seventy in height. We went straight to the hospital, he was operated on and stayed hospitalized for three days.”
From that accident arose a lawsuit that would last over twenty years. Why did you decide to go on?
“After the fall, I started gathering information. Niccolò’s father and I turned to a lawyer and decided to proceed. We managed to have an expert report done before the playground equipment was removed. The structure had a sign saying it was recommended for ages five and up. According to what we know, it was later removed from the park on via Milazzo and also from the kindergartens where it was present.”
At a certain point in the legal case, your supervision of the child also came into question. How did it feel to be told you hadn’t supervised your son enough?
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“As a mother, you feel terrible. Niccolò was an only child, an only grandchild, he was very much cared for. That thing weighed on me.”
Did the accident also change the way you raised your son?
“Yes. After that time, I rarely went to parks with him. I denied myself many things out of fear. I am grateful that my son, despite me being a scaredy-cat, did not develop any kind of fear from this episode.”
I understand that maintenance has a cost and that structures deteriorate over time. But then I say: let’s have fewer playgrounds and keep them well maintained
Have you ever thought: enough, it’s not worth it anymore?
“No. I was sure I was right. It was this conviction that made me go on.”
When you started, your son was three years old. Now he is 24. What does it mean to wait so long?
“It means that many things happen in the meantime. Life changes. Behind lawsuits there are people, stories, and difficulties.”
Has this experience also left you with a particular attention to park safety?
“Yes. The rules exist and must be respected. I understand that maintenance has a cost and that structures deteriorate over time. But then I say: let’s have fewer playgrounds and keep them well maintained.”
Today, after 21 years, what do you wish for?
“That no family has to go through what we went through.”
