Persistent phone calls, barrages of text messages, and increasingly serious threats. Antonello Sannino, president of Antinoo Arcigay Napoli, once again denounces a spiral of intimidation that has been going on for months and is now directly involving his family. The activist has filed a new complaint with law enforcement, the sixth since last June, the period he spent in Tel Aviv.
"The constant calls and flurry of text messages always come from the same number, a number ending in '0451.' But what's most concerning isn't the persistence, but the content of the messages." Sannino describes an escalation that has gone beyond all limits. "This time, everything has gone beyond the pale. The threatening text messages specifically referenced all members of my family: my elderly parents, my sisters, my brother, and my partner."
The messages reportedly contain personal details, geolocation data, and references to his private life, suggesting constant monitoring of his movements and relationships. This increases his sense of vulnerability and transforms the intimidation into a perceived threat. The last text message received also contains homophobic insults directed at the secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, who has been implicated without any direct connection to the incident.
"The tone of these messages, combined with the detailed nature of my private life, makes the situation increasingly alarming. I am seriously concerned for my safety and, above all, for that of my family, particularly my elderly parents and my brother's young children. It is unacceptable to have to live in this climate of growing hatred." These words capture a tense atmosphere and bring the issue of activists' safety and the escalation of homophobic hatred back to the forefront, especially when it shifts from verbal to personal threats.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The situation described in the article is very worrying, but it's unclear what concrete actions can be taken to stop these threats. It's important that the authorities take these complaints seriously and intervene promptly.