The Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) argues that tightening the rules will not solve the problem of youth crime, but it is necessary to focus on education.
This reflection was raised following recent criminal events involving more and more young people, such as the murder of Giovanbattista Cutolo, known as “Giogiò”, which occurred in the centre of Naples.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the CEI, expressed his gratitude for the forgiveness requested by Don Mimmo Battaglia during the opening of the Mediterranea Festival “A bordo!”, underlining the importance that both he and the city of Naples feel the support of the Church.
Zuppi stressed the need to tighten regulations and education to address the problem of youth crime, saying that without a focus on education it will be difficult to solve the problem.
This debate opened after the mea culpa homily by Don Mimmo Battaglia at Cutolo's funeral, in which he criticized the lack of solutions and work to combat youth crime.
While Don Maurizio Patriciello, parish priest of Parco Verde in Caivano, supports the crackdown with more severe penalties and specific measures to combat youth gangs, the ACLI maintain that prevention is essential to solve the problem of juvenile crime. President Emiliano Manfredonia has emphasized that punishment should have a re-educational purpose, especially for minors, and lowering the age of criminal responsibility would shift responsibility from adults to children.
Don Mattia Ferrari, a young parish priest and chaplain of the NGO Mediterannea, also underlined the importance of knowing and truly understanding the people involved in youth crime. He expressed the need to focus on education and relationships with these young people, taking Don Bosco's educational approach as an example.
Ferrari stressed the importance of schools, oratories and relationships so that kids do not feel marginalized by society, but loved. According to him, many kids have been saved from delinquency thanks to the love they have received
Article published on 7 September 2023 - 21:20
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