A judge in Macerata on Monday ordered
that Filippo Claudio Giuseppe Ferlazzo, a man who has confessed
to beating to death a Nigerian migrant in a street in a central
Italian town last week, must remain in jail.
The case has shocked the nation because of the brutality of the
assault and the fact that several passers-by watched and some
recorded the attack, but no one intervened to save Alika
Ogorchukwu, a 39-year-old street hawker.
Ferlazzo's lawyer, Roberta Bizzarri, said she told Monday's
hearing that her client was cooperating with investigators, had
apologized for what happened and had "clarified" that racism was
not the motive.
Investigators believe the attack, which took place on Friday in
the centre of Civitanova Marche, broke out due to "futile
motives", sources said.
Indeed, Macerata prosecutors have charged Ferlazzo, 32, with
homicide and robbery, as he also allegedly took Ogorchukwu's
phone after killing him, but racism was not cited as an
aggravating factor.
There are reports that Ogorchukwu may have touched the arm of
Ferlazzo's partner while begging for money.
Ferlazzo had a history of mental health problems, which had led
to his mother being assigned as his legal guardian by a court.
"Why wasn't he being monitored even though he had a guardian?"
said Francesco Mantella, the lawyer representing Ogorchukwu's
family.
Ogorchukwu leaves behind a wife and an eight-year-old son. He
also provided for an 10-year-old girl who lived with his family
but was not his daughter.
"Apologies are not enough," Ogorchukwu's family said via the
lawyer.
"What is needed now is justice, not vendetta.
"It's difficult to understand what happened".
Patrick Guobadia of the Nigerians in Italy association said that
"if it had been two Italians, things would have turned out
differently - someone would have intervened to separate them".
The local council has set up a fund of 15,000 euros to help the
victim's family.
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