The State Attorney’s Office in Rome will launch an investigation into a far-right commemoration held on Tuesday in the Acca Larentia area of southern Rome, judicial sources confirmed on Wednesday.
The ceremony, marking the 1978 murders of two neofascist youths, attracted over 1,000 far-right activists, including members of the neo-Fascist group CasaPound.
Prosecutors are awaiting official reports from the Digos anti-terror police and Carabinieri regarding the event. According to sources, hundreds of attendees allegedly performed Fascist salutes during the demonstration.
The investigation will focus on possible violations of Italy’s anti-Fascist laws, including the 1993 Mancino Law and the 1952 Scelba Law. The Mancino Law, named after former Interior Minister Nicola Mancino, allows for the prosecution of hate crimes, including incitement to violence. The Scelba Law prohibits public praise of Fascism or attempts to revive the Fascist party.
This latest inquiry follows the closure of a previous investigation in December 2023 into a January 7 demonstration last year. During that event, 31 individuals allegedly violated the Mancino and Scelba laws by making Fascist salutes.
The Acca Larentia Deaths
The annual Acca Larentia ceremonies commemorate the deaths of three members of the youth wing of the neofascist Italian Social Movement (MSI). On 7 January 1978, Franco Bigonzetti, 18, and Francesco Ciavatta, 19, were shot dead outside the MSI headquarters on the street named after the Roman goddess Acca Larentia.
The attackers, allegedly far-left militants, fled the scene. Later, a stray bullet fatally wounded 19-year-old MSI member Stefano Recchioni during clashes between police and enraged Fronte della Gioventù members who had rioted after the killings.
Authorities are now scrutinising whether Tuesday’s demonstration breached Italy’s anti-Fascist laws.
