An Italian football hooligan has been arrested and
charged with murder after beating to death a Nigerian asylum seeker
who reacted to racial insults against his partner, ANSA news agency
reported Thursday.
According to the La Repubblica newspaper, Emmanuel Chidi Namdi, 36,
got into a fight on Tuesday after the man called his 24-year-old
girlfriend Chinyery a “monkey.”
He was taken to hospital in a comatose state and declared dead on
Wednesday in the central Italian town of Fermo, some 170 kilometres
north-east of Rome, near the Adriatic coast.
The accused, Amedeo Mancini, is a supporter of 4th league team
Fermana and had been banned from the local stadium because of his
violent behaviour, ANSA said.
The incident led Interior Minister Angelino Alfano to travel to Fermo
to chair a meeting with local police.
Alfano said it was a “day of infinite sadness,” while Prime Minister
Matteo Renzi wrote on Twitter: “Against hatred, racism and violence.”
Comunita di Capodarco, the Catholic charity that was giving shelter
to the couple, issued a statement giving a version provided by
Chinyery. She said the man put his hands on her, triggering Namdi’s
reaction.
“A fight broke out, a street sign was pulled from the pavement, there
were heavy blows and one, probably fatal, hit the young Nigerian on
the back of the neck. Once on the floor … the young man was hit
repeatedly,” the Comunita said.
The couple left Nigeria to flee from the Islamist terrorist group
Boko Haram, their hosts said.
Chinyery travelled while pregnant, but fell ill during the sea
crossing to Sicily and lost her baby, probably as a result of
beatings suffered in Libya, they added.
Father Vinicio Albanesi, who leads the community that sheltered the
couple, said the people who attacked the asylum seekers were the same
who earlier this year planted bombs in front of four Catholic
churches in Fermo. Explosives did not go off.
“There are small group of people who clearly think they belong to the
Aryan race,” Albanesi said, as quoted by Comunita di Capodarco. “They
belong to local football fan groups and I think it is the same clique
who has put bombs in front of our churches.”
South Africa Today – World News – Italy
