Overview
- On Friday a 13-year-old entered Istituto Giovanni Verga in Centocelle, reportedly sprayed pepper spray, stabbed his 66-year-old teacher and was stopped by a classmate before the injuries became life threatening.
- The teacher, identified as Isabella Marsilio, was treated by emergency services, hospitalized briefly and has been discharged; she describes the attack as sudden and plans to continue teaching.
- Police seized the boy’s phone and other devices and investigators are examining school footage and seized files to determine if the student filmed or livestreamed the assault and whether any footage was later deleted.
- Authorities are probing possible motives that range from a reported school grievance over an insufficient grade to exposure to violent content online, including material referencing the Christchurch attacker, and are investigating the student’s online contacts.
- Unions are calling for more prevention, mental health support and resources for schools while the education minister has renewed a proposal to restrict social media access for under-15s as device forensics and witness interviews continue.