Footage shows prison officers beating inmates in Italian jail.

A shock video has surfaced in Italy showing violence against prisoners at a jail in the province of Caserta, near Naples, in the southern Campania region.

The footage, published exclusively by Italian newspaper Domani, shows prison officers beating prisoners with truncheons, slaps and kicks, with some beaten on the ground.

The violent scenes were filmed at the S. Maria Capua Vetere prison on 6 April 2020, the day after a protest in which prisoners demanded masks and covid tests following the first coronavirus case at the jail.

The hard-hitting scenes, allegedly in "retaliation" for the protest, show prisoners being beaten from either side as they are paraded through a corridor full of prison officers.

One prisoner is dragged and kicked, others are beaten as they stagger up stairs with their hands on their heads.

Many are beaten repeatedly by several baton-wielding officers at the same time. Some are kneed or kicked in the stomach or punched in the ribs. One helmeted officer uses a truncheon to beat a man in a wheelchair.

The violence, captured by surveillance cameras, has led to legal proceedings against 52 prison officers and managers who face charges including aggravated torture, aggravated ill-treatment, and causing multiple aggravated personal injuries.

Video. Warning: viewer discretion is advised.