Naples – It's not a game, even if the protagonists are old enough to play. It's a public pillory, filmed and posted with the ruthless ease of those who grew up on the wrong role models.
In Secondigliano, in the heart of northern Naples, a group of children—little more than eleven years old—targeted a man of about 60, visibly altered and frail, turning his suffering into a social media spectacle.
The "raid" among passers-by and collective indifference
The scene unfolds near a well-known shopping mall. While city life goes on with cars and pedestrians, the "pack" of youngsters targets the victim. The man is walking with difficulty, he's not thinking clearly, perhaps ill or under the influence of drugs. But for the young tormentors, he's just a target.
The live broadcast begins: the smartphone becomes a weapon. The video, lasting one minute and fifty seconds, captures an ordeal filled with scathing insults and laughter, using language that mimics that of local drug lords and drug dealers.
The old man doesn't react, continuing his walk as a red laser beam is aimed at his back, simulating an execution. The epilogue occurs in front of the mall doors, under the eyes of several uninvolved bystanders, where one of the children throws dirty confetti from the ground at the man.
Web Patrolling and Discovery: An Ageless Author
The video immediately went viral on a popular social media platform, but it didn't escape the attention of the Carabinieri at the Secondigliano station. Thanks to web patrolling, the officers tracked down the perpetrator. The bitter surprise was to discover that the perpetrator is just 11 years old.
Since the child is under the age of 14, he cannot be held responsible by law, but the seriousness of the act prompted the military to report the family unit to the ordinary Prosecutor's Office, the Juvenile Prosecutor's Office, and Social Services.
Social Drift: When "Likes" Erase Empathy
The episode reignites the debate about the lack of respect and the educational decline of young people. In a digital ecosystem where the only thing that matters is "being seen as grown-up and fearless," the line between reality and fiction blurs. The pursuit of online consensus (likes, views) replaces critical awareness and empathy.
What's frightening isn't just the act itself—a "prank" for some, a crime for the state—but the total lack of compassion for those who are least favored. If, at 11 years old, we learn that the suffering of others is a bargaining chip for digital popularity, the risk is that what is today's virtual pillory could tomorrow transform into even more structured physical violence.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It's truly sad to see how young people don't understand the gravity of their actions. This episode demonstrates how important it is to teach children respect and empathy for others, especially those in need.