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New act of intimidation against the mayor of Gioia Tauro, Simona Scarcella. A few months after the discovery of the war bullets positioned in front of the front door of his house, the mayor was the target of a second warning: an anonymous letter delivered by hand inside the mailbox. The text contains heavy death threats addressed directly to his family and pet. Among the most disturbing passages of the letter appears the warning: “If you write again we will slaughter your children and your dog.”
Scarcella immediately alerted the Carabinieri, who started investigations and are working to analyze the recordings of the video surveillance systems in the area. Despite the climate of tension, the mayor resolutely reiterated that he did not want to give in to threats and to continue his government action at the helm of the Municipality. At the same time, the Prefecture of Reggio Calabria was asked to evaluate the adoption of the necessary protection measures provided for by the safeguards for local administrators subject to intimidation.
The president of the city council Ranieri intervened on the issue in a long post on Facebook:
“Severe disdain and firm condemnation for the threats addressed to the Mayor and his family. I express, on my behalf and that of the entire City Council, the strongest condemnation and deepest disdain for the serious threats addressed to the Mayor of our city and his family, and in particular for the death threat addressed to his children. This is a cowardly and unacceptable gesture, which cannot be classified as a simple act of intimidation against a person, because when a person is threatened Mayor, the entire community he represents is affected, the democratic institutions are affected and the freedom and serenity with which administrative action must be carried out is called into question.
Those who resort to threats and intimidation attempt to impose through fear what cannot and must not be imposed through the tools of democracy. This is why we must respond to similar gestures with firmness, unity and determination, reaffirming the value of the institutions and the strength of the rule of law.
But what makes what happened even more serious is that behind the institutional role there is a person: a professional, a woman, a wife and a mother who has chosen to dedicate her time, energy and responsibility to the service of her city, facing the weight and difficulties of administration on a daily basis and continuing to put the good of the community at the center of her commitment.
No one can think that public exposure and political-administrative commitment can become a price to pay even in the private sphere, nor that the family of someone who holds an institutional position can become the target of intimidation and threats. I therefore extend the full and unconditional closeness of the City Council to the person and family of the Mayor, in the awareness that in moments like this it is necessary to be even more united and even more determined in defending the principles on which our community is founded. Finally, I hope that the State and all the relevant institutions will be able to ensure maximum attention to the matter and that a firm, authoritative and timely response will be given to those responsible for these vile gestures. The city does not allow itself to be intimidated. In the face of threats, democratic institutions do not retreat: they remain standing, united, and continue to administer in the interests of the community.”