Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – Travelling through the largest Rom communities in Europe and not only Europe, comparing our fears, with them and among them, aware that only schooling for new generations can integrate different peoples for good and not for evil, let us hope, in Europe of tomorrow, where certainly criminal scenarios must pulled down, whatever the colour of our skin in the future awaiting us. We explore places where no one has ever been or ever wanted to go, to the depths of darkness to understand the reasons for our journey through immigration. We begin with the story of a young Rom girl under protection who had the courage to report her father for forcing her to steal. From here we start out across Europe to try to understand this eternally migrant people which evokes age old fears, forgetting that in Italy as in the rest of the world, all kinds of Mafia crush and blackmail the economies of honest persons and persons of goodwill. This does not justify asocial or criminal behaviour, whether it is an expression of violence of abuse or homicide, in the history of today of any people, of any civilisation.
Here is the testimony of the young Rom girl: “I come from a camp of Rom nomads and I am under protection. I ran away from my father/master who ordered me in everything. He made me steal. I was his slave. When he ate I was not allowed near, I was his slave. He beat me, he sent me out to steal, he told me how I was to dress. No trousers only skirts. He wanted to decide who I was to marry so he could sell me. My family is very rich, we are not all the same. Some gypsies are rich some are poor. I come from a rich family. It's true. In rich families you have to steal. Beaten, locked in, when they beat me they used cables. Many girls run away, fearing their father. You should not fear your own father. No one is born to steal. Your father decides who you will marry. If you are a virgin you are worth 100,000 Euro. If you are not a virgin you will be slave for life. Do not be afraid, react! Do not give up your life. Run away! Run away with me. If I ran away, so can you. They must not think we are all thieves. We are not. They force us to steal. Run away!” (Luca De Mata) (television programme trailer “La valigia con lo spago”: a series of 4 programmes: an investigation into migratory flows and new slavery in the world: Rai Uno beginning 29 June, 2nd evening feature). (Agenzia Fides 24/6/2009; righe 14, parole 223). (Agenzia Fides 6/7/2009; righe 21, parole 344)
