On 29 July 2022, Alika Ogorchukwu, a Nigerian street vendor in Italy, was murdered.
Background
Ogorchukwu was a 39-year worker living in
Civitanova Marche, in northern Italy. Originally from Nigeria, he had lived in Italy for over a decade and began working as a street vendor after a bicycle accident left him disabled and he was unable to find other work. He was married and a father.
Incident and investigations
On 29 July, Ogorchukwu was assaulted in broad daylight as he was working. Over the course of the following minutes, the attacker beat Ogorchukwu to death using Ogorchukwu's crutch.
On 30 July, Filippo Claudio Giuseppe Ferlazzo, a 32-year old Italian man, was arrested on charges of having murdered Ogorchukwu and having stolen Ogorchukwu's phone. Police stated that they believe Ferlazzo attacked Ogorchukwu after he had asked Ferlazzo's girlfriend to buy a handkerchief and said that they would not be investigating racial hatred as a motivator for the attack. Ferlazzo's girlfriend later told the media that she had not felt bothered by Ogorchukwu.
Reactions
The murder provoked a number of protests against racism in Italy. The Italian Anti-Racist Coordination published an open letter denouncing the use of racist imagery in media coverage of the murder and raised concerns about systemic ableism in Italy.
Human Rights Watch stated that Italian police have "historically failed to respond adequately to hate crimes" and that the country "needs to reckon with the institutional racism in its laws and policies."
The murder also had an impact on the campaign for the
2022 Italian general election
The 2022 Italian general election was a snap election held in Italy on 25 September 2022. After the fall of the Draghi government, which led to a parliamentary impasse, President of Italy, President Sergio Mattarella dissolved the parliament on 2 ...
, due to be held in September 2022. Several commentators raised concerns about the impact that rhetoric used by far-right parties such as
Lega and
Brothers of Italy
Brothers of Italy ( it, Fratelli d'Italia, FdI) is a national-conservative and right-wing populist political party in Italy. It is led by Giorgia Meloni, the incumbent Prime Minister of Italy and the first woman to serve in the position. Accor ...
had on creating a climate of racism in the country. Trade unionist
Aboubakar Soumahoro
Aboubakar Soumahoro (born 6 June 1980) is an Italian- Ivorian trade unionist, labor activist and politician, elected to the Chamber of Deputies at the 2022 Italian election. He has advocated for labor rights of migrant farmers in Italy.
Biogra ...
stated that "some political parties are legitimising fear and hatred towards those who are different. This is a serious danger that we must fight every day."
The municipal council voted in favour of a motion to assist Ogorchukwu's family in the aftermath, including covering part of the funds for the funeral.
See also
*
2018 Florence shooting
On 5 March 2018, Idy Diene, a 54-year-old Senegalese immigrant, was fatally shot near the central Ponte Amerigo Vespucci in Florence, Italy. The shooter, who was identified as Roberto Pirrone, turned himself in to the police. While the police ha ...
*
Macerata shooting
On 3 February 2018, a right-wing terrorist shooting occurred in Macerata, Italy. It received widespread media coverage and affected Italian politics as it occurred during the political campaign for the 2018 Italian general election.
Events
On 3 ...
*
Murder of George Floyd
References
{{reflist
Deaths by person in Italy
August 2022 crimes in Europe
August 2022 events in Europe
2022 murders in Italy