The 18-year-old boy stabbed this morning at the Chiodo-Einaudi Institute in La Spezia has died . The young man, taken to Sant'Andrea Hospital, underwent emergency surgery but died: he had immediately appeared in critical condition. The local health authority announced his death that evening. Youssef Abanoub , a student of Egyptian origin, had lived in La Spezia with his parents for years.
Police arrested the alleged attacker, 19-year-old Zouhar Atif, of Moroccan origin, who attends the same school and was taken to the police station. The weapon, a long kitchen knife the young man had brought from home, was recovered ; for this reason, the young man could be charged with murder with premeditation. The motive remains unclear, but it appears to be related to a romantic dispute . The young man, who has already been questioned by the police, must now be questioned by the prosecutor.
The attack occurred in class, in front of his classmates and the teacher who was teaching . It appears the two had begun arguing shortly beforehand in the bathroom, then the victim sought refuge in the classroom. To no avail, despite the teacher's intervention, who subdued the attacker and disarmed him before calling the police, who were able to arrest him in the act .
A single blow to the head pierced his diaphragm and lung, and tore a vein in his liver, according to reports. Doctors attempted to save his life, but were unsuccessful. Around fifty of the boy's classmates crowded together in front of the hospital, anxiously awaiting any updates on his condition, until the tragic news broke.
Political reactions
With politicians unanimously condemning the incident, Undersecretary of the Interior Nicola Molteni announced a decree to ban knives for minors: "What happened in La Spezia is extremely serious. The security package addresses this unrest, which is currently the main cause of social alarm in our cities. In light of this event, I believe we should consider bringing forward these useful and detailed regulations banning knives for minors. Today, it is necessary and urgent to address the phenomenon of the use of knives in youth crime: we should consider the possibility of a decree, so that its entry into force can be brought forward."
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, in fact, spoke of "an unprecedented gravity": "Incidents of this kind must have no place in our society. Schools are committed to instilling values and teaching respect for people and rules, through dialogue and the rejection of all forms of violence."
The Ligurian Democratic Party (PD): "We need to rethink society, and everyone must commit to making this happen quickly. There are no shortcuts, just hard work, away from the noise. The Democratic Party community is available for whatever needs to be done."
(Unioneonline)