Deaths of gypsy children spark Italian political storm

AFP

August 13, 2007


ROME -- Italian politicians called for an inquiry into the living conditions of gypsies in Italy Monday after four Roma infants died in a fire on the outskirts of Livorno, central Italy.

"We need to understand why the laws are not applied, because in our country there are babies and children whose rights are neglected in the name of cultural diversity," said right-wing Forza Italia deputy Jole Santelli.

Four gypsy infants, three boys and a girl aged between four and 10 years old, were burnt to death late Friday night in a fire at a makeshift shelter under a motorway underpass near Livorno's industrial zone.

The parents of the children, two couples originally from Romania, were jailed on suspicion of non-assistance of a person in danger. A judge will rule on the case Tuesday, said Italy's ANSA news agency.

Livorno's left-wing mayor, Alessandro Cosimi, called for national talks to resolve the problem of integrating the Roma. But he warned that local authorities would need more funding if this was to be done.

The drama has reignited the debate over immigration. Between 140,000 and 160,000 gypsies currently live in Italy.

They include 60,000 gypsies recently arrived from central European countries who do not hold Italian nationality.

On Sunday, immigration minister Paolo Ferrero said the children's deaths were just the latest in a long series of such tragedies caused by the indifference of local authorities.

That drew a sharp response from the mayors of several large cities including Venice and Ancona. Regardless of their political allegiance, they were united in pointing out that the policy and funding for immigration policy was the central government's responsibility.

There are about 500 makeshift Roma encampments scattered across Italy and they are the worst in Europe, says Opera Nomadi, a group that acts as mediators between the Roma and the authorities.

Massimo Converso, the group's president, called for an urgent meeting with interior minister Giuliano Amato to find concrete solutions to the problem.

Italy is one of 14 countries listed by the European Commission as practising discrimination against the Roma community on the basis of their race or their ethnic background.

The commission has called on all 14 countries cited to answer the charge, before August 27, or face financial penalties.

Fire at gypsy encampment in Italian port town kills 4 children

The Associated Press
Published: August 11, 2007

ROME: A fire broke out early Saturday at a makeshift gypsy encampment under a highway in Tuscany, killing four children, authorities said.

At least three of the victims, who were believed to be between the ages of 4 and 10, were related, police said. Their bodies were found amid the charred remains of the encampment under a highway overpass near the Tuscan port city of Livorno.

Prosecutor Antonio Giaconi said authorities had received contradictory versions of events from the parents of the children and other residents of the encampment who were questioned by police.

One hypothesis was that the blaze was set intentionally; the other was that it was sparked by a cooking fire and spread quickly because of the wooden huts in which the children lived.

"Both hypotheses obviously point to crimes of a certain seriousness," Giaconi told reporters, adding that the deaths represented a "serious lack of vigilance" over the children by the parents.

Charred metal bedframes and a shopping cart were all that remained intact from the settlement.

After the fire, Mayor Alessandro Cosimi of Livorno declared a day of mourning to be held on the day of the children's funeral. Flags were flying at half-staff in Livorno and an evening festival was canceled.

"As a father first and then as mayor, I can only express my heart-rending grief for the death of four children," he said in a statement.

Premier Romano Prodi phoned Cosimi to express his condolences to the families and the entire Roma community, a statement said.

Gypsy settlements — made up of ramshackle trailers and shanties — are common in Italy, dotting the outskirts of many big cities. Occasionally authorities announce crime crackdowns and try to resettle the residents, also known as Roma.

A relative of the victims told the ANSA news agency his family had set up camp under the highway in recent months because there was no more room for them in the more established gypsy settlement of nearby Pisa.