Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »
Wed 07 Jul 2008Drowning of Roma girls brings racism to surface
ITALY:FOR MONTHS now, the city of Naples has earned itself less than flattering headlines because of its much-publicised rubbish crisis. According to Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe of Naples, however, the city managed to show an even uglier face to the world last weekend when two Roma gypsy children drowned off the beach of Torregaveta, near Naples.
Eleven-year-old Cristina Ebrehemovich and her 12-year-old sister Violetta lived in the nomad encampment of Secondigliano, one of more than 1,000 illegal - and squalid - favelas or shanty towns that have grown up near Rome, Milan and Naples. Last Saturday, the two children were sent out to sell trinkets, cigarette lighters and other objects at the Torregaveta beach, easily reachable by suburban train.
Choose a Subscription type - required
