Carabinieri arrest alleged yoga cult leader Bruno Malatesta in Val di Susa

Operation Asmodeo in Val di Susa

Carabinieri officers from the Provincial Command of Turin executed a prison custody order on the morning of 1 October 2026 against 59-year-old Bruno Antonio Malatesta. The suspect faces charges of reduction to slavery, domestic abuse, aggravated sexual assault, and aggravated fraud against the Italian state. The judicial police action, designated Operation Asmodeo, dismantled a suspected pseudo-spiritual cult located in the lower Susa Valley, within the municipality of Almese. Investigators from the Carabinieri Investigative Unit in Turin carried out the operation under the coordination of the Turin Public Prosecutor's Office, headed by chief prosecutor Giovanni Bombardieri and deputy prosecutor Davide Pretti.

Recruitment through holistic disciplines

Malatesta established a public following by offering courses in yoga, meditation, self-defence, and Indian martial arts. In his online biographies and YouTube channel, he claimed to have trained in Indian ashrams and Himalayan monasteries, promoting crystal bioenergetic rebalancing, naturopathy, and shamanism. He used these classes to identify and approach individuals experiencing vulnerability, particularly those coping with severe illnesses or recent grief. He recruited victims into a residential facility in the hamlet of Milanere, inside the Pioppi complex on Via Castelletto. Local residents in Almese referred to the group as "the orange ones" because members wore full-length orange robes and matching head coverings.

In his social media postings and video lectures, Malatesta presented philosophical statements to his audience.

“Fight with the body, fight with the mind. Release your energy.”

Systematic control and allegations of abuse

According to investigative findings, Malatesta exercised complete psychological control over female followers, whom he designated as disciples or nuns. He claimed to possess supernatural abilities and direct communication with the "Divine Mother," promising followers spiritual ecstasy and the attainment of Samādhi. Followers were coerced into taking vows of poverty and obedience, which required transferring all personal wealth and assets to him, alongside enduring forced labor. Prosecutors documented that Malatesta subjected members, including minors, to physical violence and repeated sexual assaults disguised as shamanic purifying therapies intended to relieve suffering and cure medical conditions. Italian public broadcaster Rai broadcast an investigative segment on his activities in 2018.

Accomplices and ongoing investigations

The Turin prosecutor's office placed three additional individuals under investigation without pre-trial detention. Two female associates, one serving as an instructor and the other as a licensed psychologist whose specific role remains under formal review, managed the logistics and day-to-day operations of the community. A third associate, described as a monk and massotherapist, conducted paid sexual therapies exclusively targeting female clients in moments of bereavement or emotional fragility. Investigators determined that victims were systematically selected based on pre-existing physical or mental vulnerabilities to facilitate manipulation. The Carabinieri Investigative Unit continues its inquiry into the commune's operations and financial transactions.