A journalist and director who
work for State broadcaster RAI have been assaulted by the
suspected member of a criminal clan in the beach town of Ostia,
near Rome, RAI said on Wednesday.
Journalist Daniele Piervincenzi and filmmaker Edoardo
Anselmi, who work for Rai2's program Nemo Nessuno Escluso "were
violently attacked by Roberto Spada, a member of the Spada
family, well-known in the media for several investigations" on
charges including corruption, racketeering and drug smuggling,
and another man.
The RAI crew was in Ostia to report on the outcome of local
municipal elections on Sunday.
The broadcaster said Piervincenzi has a broken nose and a
prognosis of 30 days.
Spada, who headbutted Piervincenzi, accused the crew of
asking him the same questions for an hour and a half, ignoring
his insistence that he had nothing to say, and then "forcing
their way into a members-only club, disturbing a session and
frightening my son".
"What would you have done?" he demanded on his Facebook
profile.
"In the last 10 days at least 30 journalists have come to
break our balls, patience has a limit," he said.
Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi called the attack "unacceptable"
and vowed to rid Rome of crime and extremism.
"Spada clan violence unacceptable. Solidarity to journalist
and filmmaker attacked in Ostia. We'll stop crime and extremism
in Rome," Raggi tweeted.
The deputy head of Fascist group CasaPound, Simone di
Stefano, also condemned Spada's attack and said they had nothing
to with the clan.
CasaPound scored an unexpectedly high 9% in Ostia's municipal
elections Sunday.
"Roberto Spada is not a member of CasaPound. We share nothing
with him, apart from attendance at a kid's party in a piazza 18
months ago," Di Stefano said.
"We certainly don't answer for his actions and violence is
always deprecable," he said.
Piervincenzi said Wednesday Spada should apologise for
attacking him and breaking his nose.
"It was an unexpected thing, I was doing an interview. We
were trying to understand the reasons for the (Spada clan's)
endorsement for CasaPound", he said.
"I have a compound fracture of the nasal septum," said
Piervincenzi.
"But we're still on our feet".
He denied Spada's charge the crew had frightened his son,
saying "I don't think I scared anyone, I'm the scared one.
"If he apologises I'm ready to forgive him, but he should
apologise to Ostia, where the high crime rate and the clans have
spoiled the social fabric of a beautiful place".
Piervincenzi told ANSA: "I'm hurting, and I was hit only
because I asked questions".
He said Spada "smiled at me, then hit me violently with a
head butt to the nose, breaking it".
Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso on Wednesday condemned the
"ignoble violence" of the attack.
"A hug and best wishes for a speedy recovery to Daniele and
Edoardo, victims of ignoble violence," Grasso tweeted.
"Strong and authoritative journalism is a fundamental
democratic safeguard for all of us".
There are no "no go areas" where crime can run riot in
Italy, Interior Minister Marco Minniti said after Spada's
attack.
Minniti was said to be personally following the incident.
The minister said the police were working on the case because
the principles of law and order "are fundamental, and there can
be no no man's land in Italy".
Judicial sources said Wednesday evening that a criminal probe
had been opened into the attack.
Spada is suspected of bodily harm, the sources said, but that
could be changed to grievous bodily harm if the journalist's
condition worsens, they said.
The case has been assigned to the local anti-mafia
prosecutor's office.
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