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CRIME

Earthquake survivor arrested for refusing to leave his town

A man whose house was destroyed in the central Italy earthquake last August was jailed for two nights after refusing to leave his hometown.

Earthquake survivor arrested for refusing to leave his town
Rescuers searching in damaged homes in Arquata del Tronto, central Italy. Photo: STR/AFP

On Monday, 58-year-old Marche resident Enzo Rendina was arrested and jailed for two nights, accused of hampering firefighters' efforts by refusing to leave the town.

Now he has been banned by police from setting foot in Arquata del Tronto, at least until a hearing in late March.

Rendina is a native of Pescara del Tronto, a part of Arquata del Tronto, the worst affected town after neighbouring Amatrice and home to around 50 of the 299 victims. 

Read our full interview with Enzo Rendina here

“”I'm a victim. I saved other human beings, and put all my energy into helping – this is shameful,” Rendina told The Local on Thursday. He says that after escaping from his own collapsed house following the August quake, he pulled some of his neighbours from the rubble of their homes, and has assisted firefighters in the ongoing recovery work.

But while most residents were relocated to hostels and hotels along the coast, he refused, despite warnings from the town's mayor, firefighters, and Italy's special commissioner for post-earthquake reconstruction that he was risking his life. 

He spent the next few months staying in tents provided by rescuers and the Civil Protection Department, and he says his determination to stay is due to fear as much as love for his town.

“They don't understand why I kept refusing to stay in a hotel,” Rendina said. “The earthquake changed me, I can't feel calm anymore and I can't sleep in a house built from bricks.”

After the heavy snowfall of early January made it dangerous to stay in a tent, Rendina stayed at a camp set up by the firefighters who were still carrying out recovery operations and snow clearance in the town.

He argues that his knowledge of the area was a help to the rescuers, many of whom came from northern Italy, and was shocked by his arrest on Monday, which followed an earlier cease-and-desist order. After two nights in jail, he was released on Wednesday under the condition that he stay away from Arquata del Tronto; he is currently staying in a hotel.

Rendina's lawyer, Francesco Ciabbatoni, told The Local he is hopeful that his client will be acquitted, and allowed to return. 

“He has done nothing wrong. His only 'crime' is that he loves his land – it's a crime of love,” the lawyer said.

Recent weeks have seen residents from the earthquake-hit towns protesting in Rome over government delays in the recovery effort. Like Rendina, they are angry that the promised temporary housing has in many places still not been delivered.

One placard read: “Bureaucracy kills more than the earthquake”, and one of the protest's organizers told The Local: “It will take at least ten years to be able to return to our homes, and we haven't even been able to empty our houses and recover our furniture, our memories of our lives and those of our ancestors.”

The 2016 quakes left thousands of homes in ruins or structurally unsafe, emptying a string of villages and small towns across Italy's mountainous central regions, with an estimated 40,000 people forced to find shelter.

 

 

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TERRORISM

Terror alerts: Should I be worried about travelling to Italy?

Italy is on its highest-level terror alert and ministers have warned the public to be vigilant over the Easter holidays - so is there cause for concern if you're planning to travel in the country?

Terror alerts: Should I be worried about travelling to Italy?

Italian authorities agreed on Monday to increase anti-terrorism monitoring ahead of the Easter holidays, with more surveillance to be carried out at popular tourist spots and at “sensitive sites”.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had stressed to the public on Sunday that Italy faced “no concrete risk” at the moment, and said the country’s security and law enforcement services were “always on the alert to prevent any attack.”

READ ALSO: Italy on maximum terror alert over Easter after Moscow attack

Nevertheless, he warned that “during the Easter holidays you will need to be very careful.”

Italy has been on its highest-level terror alert since October 2023 following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, meaning the official alert level could not be raised any further on Monday.

The plan for increased surveillance and the warnings to the public in Italy came following the terrorist attack at a concert hall in Moscow on Friday where armed men opened fire and set the building ablaze, killing at least 133 people.

Ministers said that terror plots on this scale, organised by groups, “would be intercepted sooner in Italy” and said the main terror threat Italy faced at the moment was mainly from “lone wolves”.

He was referring to the fact that recent deadly attacks in Europe have often been carried out by a single perpetrator, not affiliated to a terrorist organisation. The profile of attackers is often isolated young men who have become radicalised.

Unlike most other major European countries, Italy has not so far suffered any deadly attacks at the hands of jihadist militants.

Experts have suggested that Italy has been able to prevent attacks partly due to lessons learned from anti-mafia policing, and that it also has a lower number of citizens at risk of radicalisation than countries like the UK or France – and therefore fewer suspects to watch.

The country arrests dozens of suspects every year on terrorism charges following surveillance operations. Earlier in March, three men of Palestinian origin were arrested in the Abruzzo town of l’Aquila, alleged to be involved in an organised terror plot.

In 2023, at least 56 foreign nationals were deported from Italy after facing terror-related charges.

Italy is generally seen as being at a lower risk of being hit by a major terror attack than some neighbouring countries. So what exactly does the raised alert level mean for people in the country?

Heightened security

While much of Italy’s counter-terrorism work goes on behind the scenes, there will be increased police and military patrols over Easter in busy public places deemed “sensitive”, including shopping centres and places of worship.

The most visible manifestation of the heightened security alert in Italy is the armed soldiers on patrol outside government buildings, tourist attractions, airports, train stations, central squares and in other busy public areas.

Unlike in some other European countries, Italy’s airports do not regularly experience bomb hoaxes and other threats. While no additional security checks for passengers are being introduced, security is likely to remain tight at Italian airports this Easter, as at all European transport hubs.

If you’re visiting a major tourist attraction over Easter or attending any type of large public event, expect a high level of security at the door.

Travel advice

So far, no country has warned its nationals against visiting Italy – the US State Department still lists the alert level for Italy as Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, which has seen no change since July 2023. 

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