Addressing Youth Violence in Benevento

Crackdown on the nightlife. Increased checks in the historic center, but not only there. This time, to try to curb the phenomenon of violence among young people, it was also agreed to accept the proposal put forward by Mayor Clemente Mastella, namely to proceed, starting in September, with (multidisciplinary) civic education lessons in schools. These are the decisions made by the Committee for Public Order and Safety, which met yesterday morning at the prefecture at the urging of the mayor of Benevento, following yet another case of violence among young people that occurred in Piazza Roma. The story It all started last Monday, after the assault of an 18-year-old foreigner by a fellow national, only a couple of years older, with kicks, punches, and a glass bottle. An explosion of anger detonated in the very early part of the evening, around 9:30 p.m., when Corso Garibaldi is quite busy. An action that could have been unknowingly dangerous for someone passing by. Benevento, brawl in Piazza Roma. Mastella: "Expulsion order for delinquent migrants" "I thank the prefect who accepted my request," declares Mastella, "because citizens are quite angry about this disrespectful, irreverent, and uncivil behavior of some young people, especially foreigners, but not only. Benevento is among the safest Italian cities concerning criminal phenomena, and I want this record to be maintained. There will be more checks, people need to feel safe. The police forces, together with the Municipal Police, will move in unison to prevent uncivil and disrespectful behavior towards others. One thing is hospitality, and another is being welcomed and behaving appropriately." "I also made the proposal," concludes the mayor, "and the prefect accepted, that when schools resume, we will hold courses with teachers, students, families, and institutions to promote civic education." Around the government palace table, chaired by Prefect Raffaela Moscarella, were: Rosa De Gregorio (Deputy Police Commissioner), Michele Ruggieri (Deputy Provincial Commander of the Carabinieri), Michelantonio Sportelli (Provincial Commander of the Guardia di Finanza), Annamaria Villano (Commander of the Traffic Police), Giuseppe Vecchio (Commander of the Municipal Police), and representatives of the ambulance emergency service. The meeting was divided into two parts. The first addressed the issue of violence among young people. While in the continuation, the summer security plan was discussed, that is, the increase of road checks with the approach of the period of greater vehicular traffic to and from Benevento and the tourist centers of the province. The investigations Meanwhile, the police, who conducted the investigations, identified the perpetrator of the attack and reported him in a state of freedom. There were no previous grievances between the victim and the offender; the two knew each other only from crossing paths a few times in nightlife spots. Therefore, the reasons for the assault (the 18-year-old sustained an injury behind the left ear, healable in seven days) remain unknown. The young members of Forza Italia also intervened in the case to express their closeness to the victim. "Forza Italia Giovani Benevento expresses full solidarity with the victim of the assault that took place in Piazza Roma and closeness to his family," the Forza Italia members write. "The episode involving some young people of foreign origin cannot go unnoticed. It is a worrying sign of a deteriorating climate that demands immediate responses. Piazza Roma, once a meeting point for many young people from Benevento, is now less frequented precisely because of the growing perception of insecurity. We ask that attention to the issue is not limited to the moment of emergency. A stable strengthening of the police presence is needed in the most sensitive points of the city, starting from the historic center. We cannot allow fear to become the norm for those who live and grow up in Benevento. In this regard, it is right to reiterate that welcoming does not mean abandoning. Institutions have the duty to guarantee not only public order but also true integration of those who arrive in our territory, avoiding situations of neglect and decay that generate tensions and risks for collective security." "We will continue," concludes the note, "to be spokespersons for the needs of a community that has the right to feel safe in its neighborhoods and squares. Security is a value to be defended, without ambiguity and without gray areas."