Italian authorities have arrested a man wanted for beating and strangling a disabled Nigerian man to death as people watched and filmed nearby.
Al Jazeera reports that Filippo Claudio Giuseppe Ferlazzo, 32, is being held on murder charges for the death of Alika Ogorchukwu, who is described as a street vendor in Civitanova Marche, a beach town on the Adriatic Sea. Ferlazzo was also charged with theft for allegedly taking Ogorchukwu’s phone.
The deadly attack caused widespread outrage and condemnation
The incident has sparked outrage and condemnation on international social media, with many commenting on how viewers failed to help the man during the lengthy and deadly assault.
In Italy, the attack comes as the country participates in a campaign for parliamentary elections, in which the right-wing coalition has made immigration an issue.
Meanwhile, leftist politicians called the killing “horrific” and noted the “unprecedented ferocity and widespread indifference.”
Warning, disturbing video content below.
#Italy
A disabled Nigerian man named #AlikaOgorchukwu
was killed with his own crutches by a local man in #CivitanovaMarche for trivial reasons.The murder was filmed by bystanders with no one to intervene to stop the attacker.#Black lives are worth it pic.twitter.com/8RDDZb1UCa
– Umut ağrı Sarı (@umutcagrisari) July 30, 2022
Enrico Letta, a former prime minister and head of the leftist Democratic Party, tweeted Saturday: “The murder of Alika Ogorchukwu is astounding. “Didn’t hear the ferocity. Widespread indifference. There can be no justification.”
On Friday, Ogorchukwu, 39, was believed to be selling goods on the main street of the Italian coastal town when the attacker grabbed his crutches and knocked him down, police said.
The video shows Ferlazzo wrestling with Ogorchukwu, who turned away from the sidewalk when he hit back. However, Ferlazzo was able to subdue Ogorchukwu with the weight of his body, according to Al Jazeera.
“The aggressor chased after the victim, first hitting him with crutches. He caused him to fall to the ground, then he ended up, causing death, striking repeatedly with his bare hands,” investigative police officer Matteo Luconi said at a press conference.
E ‘stato convalidato l’arresto di Filippo Claudio Giuseppe Ferlazzo, 32 anni, che venerdì ha picchiato a morte l’ambulante nigeriano Alika Ogorchukwu in strada a Civitanova Marche.Ferlazzo, ha chiesto scusa chiarendo: “nessonee” motivazi. pic.twitter.com/Vz4j4aoE22
– Franco Scarsella (@ FrancoScarsell2) August 1, 2022
Investigator Matteo Luconi told Italian news channel Sky TG24 that onlookers eventually called police, who responded after the suspect fled the scene. Authorities attempted to give first aid to the victim, who was later pronounced dead.
It is reported that an autopsy will determine the exact cause of death, and whether it was suffocation or attacks to the head.
Police were able to track Ferlazzo’s movements shortly after the deadly attack using street cameras.
Different versions of events like what happened before the deadly attack
Luconi added that Ferlazzo said he attacked the man after he made “insistent” demands for money. Police are questioning witnesses and watching videos of the attack. They said the suspect has not made a statement.
However, Daniel Amanza, who runs the ACSIM association for immigrants in the Macerata province of the Marche region, says that Ogorchukwu, who is married and has two children, offers a different version of what happened. .
Amanza said Ferlazzo became angry after Ogorchukwu told him his female friend was beautiful.
#Italy
A disabled Nigerian man named #AlikaOgorchukwu
was killed with his own crutches by a local man in #CivitanovaMarche for trivial reasons.The murder was filmed by bystanders with no one to intervene to stop the attacker.#Black lives are worth it https://t.co/3CTtipJ9py https://t.co/4inzlcxbkp pic.twitter.com/6Y4SbGUF0D
– Ibraheem Shitta (@IbraheemTVCnews) August 1, 2022
“This compliment killed him,” Amanza told The Associated Press.
Amanza added that Ogorchukwu had to work as a street vendor after he was hit by a car and injured his leg. He was employed before.
“The tragic truth is that there are a lot of people nearby. They filmed and said, ‘Stop,’ but no one moved to separate them,” Amanza said.
Politicians from both sides of the aisle condemn the deadly attack
Meanwhile, politicians in Italy from both political camps condemned the attack.
Right-wing leader Matteo Salvini, who sees national security as the crux of his campaign, expressed outrage at Ogorchukwu’s death, saying that “security has no color and… needs to be back.” is a right”.
Black and white #AlikaOgorchukwu #civitanovamarche pic.twitter.com/2pRXxl2BAJ
– andrea purgatori (@andreapurgatori) July 30, 2022
“My condemnation is not only for [crime] but it is also because of indifference,” the mayor of Civitanova Marche, Fabrizio Ciarapica, told Sky. “This is something that has shocked people.”
Former prime minister Matteo Renzi singled out political leaders for “instrumentalizing” the attack, claiming he was “appalled by this electoral atmosphere.”
“I am appalled by this election atmosphere,” he said on social media. “A father was brutally and racistly killed while passers-by took video without stopping the aggressor. And instead of reflecting on what we are becoming, politicians argue and instrumentalize.”
Italy’s unfortunate history of racism
Italy has long struggled with issues of race and racism, as its proximity to Africa and other Mediterranean countries has made it a hotspot for migrants looking to earn a living. a better life for yourself in the European country.
In 2018, Luca Traini, 31, opened fire on African immigrants in Macerata, injuring six. Traini was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the shooting that Italy’s highest court confirmed qualified as a hate crime, according to Al Jazeera.
Even in the sport of soccer, or football as it is known in the suburbs, this country is known for its racism.
There were 58 cases of racism between 1 August 2019 and March 2020 that affected Italian football and sport in general, according to New frame.
The problem has gotten so bad that iI 2020, The New York Times reported that Italian football officials announced anti-racism initiatives in the sport after a series of incidents in which Black players are racially abused.
