
…as lawyer claims Italian suspect has mental problems
The death of a migrant who was attacked in broad daylight in central Italy has sparked outrage.
The assault on the Nigerian street trader by another man in Civitanova Marche town centre was captured on video on Friday.
The recording, reportedly made by onlookers without any attempt to intervene, shows the victim being held to the ground by a white man.
A 32-year-old Italian has been arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery.
The video of the attack – which has been widely circulated on Italian news websites and social media – has shocked the community, with many highlighting the “indifference” of witnesses.
The circumstances of the incident are unclear.
Call for justice
The victim has been named as Alika Ogorchukwu, a married father of two. His wife, named as Charity Oriachi, could not contain her tears as she told media how she was shown the body of her husband lying on the ground.
On Saturday hundreds of people from the local Nigerian community took to the streets of Civitanova Marche, in Marche region, to demand justice.
The attack has also been condemned by Italian politicians.
Enrico Letta, the leader of the left-wing Democratic Party, said what happened was “dismaying”.
“Unheard of ferocity. Widespread indifference. There can be no justification,” he wrote in a tweet.
Right-wing leader Matteo Salvini also expressed outrage over the death, saying “security has no colour” and “needs to return to being a right.”
Meanwhile, the defence lawyer of Filippo Claudio, the 32-year-old man who murdered the Nigerian, claimed his client has mental health.
The Gazette first reported how the 39-year-old disabled Nigerian, Alika Ogochukwu, was killed with his own crutch on 29 July 2022 at about 2pm.
The Italian killer, Filippo Claudio, is said to have recently moved to Citivanova Marche, living with his partner.
A video of Pilippo sniffing the life out of Ogochukwu in the presence of tens of residents and tourists who did nothing surfaced on social media.
The Director of the Civitanova Police Station, Fabio Mazza, said: “Investigations are underway, but the situation is quite clear.
“Everything seems to have arisen from a dispute for futile reasons, with an abnormal reaction on the part of the aggressor against the victim who was asking for alms,” a local paper, La Republica, quotes the officer.
The Mayor of Civitanova, Fabrizio Ciarapiza, was seen at the square, speaking with angry protesters.
A factory worker, Anthony, said: “Here, there is a ferocious racism against us,” referring to black residents in Civitanova Marche. He added, “yet, we do the jobs that the Italians no longer want to do.”
Meanwhile, only a few Italians showed solidarity at the crime scene as some were seen placing a bouquet of flowers in front of the shopping malls where Ogochukwu was murdered.
While Ferlazzo remains in police custody, his defence lawyer, Roberta Bizzarri, alleged that his client suffers from mental health.
According to La Republica, Bizzarri said, “He is in a state of confusion. He is a boy with psychiatric problems. He has a civil disability recognized at 100%. He has been undergoing support administration for some time.”
The lawyer also claimed that Ogochukwu’s attacker lived with his mom in Salerno before he moved to Civitanova a few months ago, “he is bipolar and borderline.” he lives with his partner and had found a fixed-term job in a foundry.”
The 32-year-old Ferlazzo is “saddened by what happened and apologizes,” his lawyer claimed.
Ferlazzo’s apology contradicts his action after he killed Ogochukwu by stealing his mobile phone at the scene.
In his defence, Ferlazzo claimed he “collected his personal belongings from the ground including his broken watch and took the cell phones by mistake,” claiming he only realized this later.
His lawyer will ask for a psych evaluation.
Meanwhile, Charity Oriachi has called on the Italian government to ensure there is justice in the murder of her husband.
Speaking with journalists during the protest, Charity said, “All I want is justice for my husband. I want justice. Somebody that killed him, I want that person to pay dearly for it; that is what I want.”
*Courtesy: BBC/Standard Gazette