Attempted Arson Attack on Romani Camp in Italy

22 July 2005

According to the Italian News Agency ANSA on January 30, 2005, a group of ten youths aged between 17 and 28, attempted to burn down the Via Aveta de la Ercolano Romani camp just outside of Naples. Thirty Roma of Romanian origin, ten of them children, live in the camp. On that night the camp was attacked with flame-throwers and a makeshift bomb which partially destroyed one of the shacks; no one was seriously injured. Six of the attackers were arrested by the police at the site of the attack while the other four were detained while the investigations were carried out. The detainees justified their action as a Saturday night "weekend mayhem."

(ANSA)