Forensic tests on the handcuffs used by police during the fatal containment of 42-year-old Abderrahim Fakir in Bologna on July 19, 2026, revealed no readable fingerprints, according to preliminary findings released by the Scientific Police of Rome. The analysis forms part of an ongoing manslaughter investigation led by Bologna prosecutors Arienti, Ambrosino, and Deputy Prosecutor Morena Plazzi.
Forensic Examination of the Handcuffs
According to reports from Il Resto del Carlino, laboratory technicians examined the security device used by the two responding officers in via Svevo, located in the Pilastro neighborhood. The inspection found a stain of undetermined material—potentially blood or rust—along with small biological and hair traces, but yielded no fingerprint impressions. Investigators opened the inquiry under a model ’45 bis’ manslaughter proceeding, initially logging six names, including two police officers and four Red Cross operators who responded to the scene.
Fabio Anselmo, the attorney representing Fakir’s family, described the lack of fingerprints as a particularly singular outcome that could prove significant during the proceedings. Conversely, Gabriele Bordoni, the lawyer defending the two police officers aged 23 and 27, stated that the result aligns with the position of his clients. Bordoni noted according to Il Resto del Carlino that the officers had cleaned the handcuffs shortly before the incident and wore gloves throughout the containment action, which prevented them from leaving recent prints on the device.
Additional Evidence and Upcoming Autopsy Analysis
Beyond the handcuffs, forensic specialists examined a size L white t-shirt recovered from the scene. Technicians isolated biological profiles and hair formations, including potential blood traces, which will undergo further attribution analysis. The investigation also encompasses a three-dimensional reconstruction of via Svevo by the Parma RIS and bodycam footage analysis conducted by the Rome RIS, alongside an ongoing review of Fakir’s mobile phone by the mobile squad.
Supplemental autopsy examinations are scheduled to continue in Padua, where experts representing both the prosecution and defense will examine Fakir’s heart. The organ was completely removed during the initial autopsy to determine whether underlying cardiac pathologies, toxicity, or positional compression contributed to the death of the 42-year-old Moroccan national following the police intervention.
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