A street vendor was beaten to death in the middle of a shopping street in Civitanova, in the Marche region (central-eastern Italy), on Friday July 29.
A passerby filmed the scene of rare violence and posted the video * on social networks, provoking outrage in the country even in the political class.
Alika Ogorchukwu, a 39-year-old Nigerian, was selling goods when his assailant lunged at him, pinning him to the ground, beating him with his crutch for about four minutes, before stealing his phone.
If the drama was filmed, none of the passers-by intervened to help the victim.
“
According to investigators, Filippo Ferlazzo was arrested and imprisoned for intentional homicide
,” reports
Le Parisien
.
The 32-year-old reportedly resented Alika Ogorchukwu's insistence on asking for coins.
The defendant's lawyer clarified that he "
was suffering from mental disorders
", writes
RFI
.
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An attack taken up by political leaders
Filippo Ferlazzo, a worker from Salerno, apologized from his cell "
after having lied about the circumstances of the beating
" during his arrest, explains
the Ansa agency
.
However, Alika Ogorchukwu's wife, left alone with their eight-year-old son, is demanding legal punishment: "
Now I want justice for my husband
," adds the Italian media.
The victim had lived in Italy for ten years and had just obtained the renewal of his residence permit.
"
He was not someone who was looking for trouble, now the investigators will have to understand why this man castigated him with such violence
", describes his lawyer Francesco Mantella to the Italian newspaper
Corriere della Serra
.
Several political party leaders have spoken out about the Nigerian's attack.
Democratic Party leader Enrico Letta tweeted, “
This is unprecedented ferocity in widespread indifference.
There can be no justification.
We have to stop being silent.
The final outrage to Alika would be to move on and forget
.”
Matteo Salvini, head of the far-right party, denounced "
violence day and night
", and declared that "
security has no color, security must once again become a right
".
Politician continues to advocate '
zero tolerance for migrants'
".
These speeches come against a backdrop of legislative elections, following the departure of Mario Draghi.
*Le Figaro has chosen not to broadcast the video, due to its rare violence.
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