Racist and hate-related crimes on the rise in Italy

In Italy, the assault that took place on Sunday 29th of July in Turin, targeting an Italian-Nigerian athlete Daisy Osakue and the death of a Moroccan national near Aprilia (Center) brought back a debate on the disturbing rise of racist attacks. 

According to Le Monde, ten cases in which Italians opened fire on foreigners, including the murder of labor activist Soumaïla Sacko, in San Calogero (Calabria) have occurred only in early June. The French media also refers to the car accident that took place on Saturday 28th of July, in the province of Latina (near Rome), which led to the death of a Moroccan man. «He was trying to escape the inhabitants who had chased him, thinking that he was a thief», said the same source.

Right after the attacks, political reactions made headlines in Italy. The far-right interior minister, Matteo Salvini immediately spoke to media describing the violent acts as «unacceptable». His opponents denounced the rise of «hatred-related offences». 

«For the left opposition, the current interior Minister is the main cause behind this explosion of violence», states Le Monde. The opposition considers that Salvini «fuels this climate of intolerance and racism».