3 hours ago
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Italy might be a football-loving country but that did not stop police in Venice from pursuing a group of unlikely targets: 14 children who fell foul for playing the game in a public square, leading to fines presented to their parents, in a move that has sparked a debate about the rights of young people to play outdoors.
The children, aged between 12 and 13, were playing football earlier this month in Pino Signoretto square in Murano, an island of about 4,500 inhabitants in the Venetian lagoon, when a resident, annoyed by the noise they were making, reported them to the police.
Police officers then went to the square and identified each child before their parents were summoned and ordered to pay a €50 (£43) fine on their behalf. The children were allegedly playing football in a prohibited area, “creating a disturbance to the public peace and a danger for people in transit”, according to the official notice given to the parents and published in the Italian press.
Antonio Trampus, the father of one of the children, told La Stampa: “My son called me in tears. The police wouldn’t listen to reason. They could have called us parents and asked us to take our children home. Instead, they immediately took their names and addresses.”
The fine could rise to as much as €500 if not paid within 60 days. “But we will not pay,” said Trampus, adding that the group was planning to appeal and take the matter up with the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro.
The fines were enforced based on regulations introduced in 2019 banning ball games in certain areas of Venice. In Murano, the only square where the game is permitted is San Bernardo. But the parents argue that Pino Signoretto square was never included in the list of banned areas as it was only recently created after the neighbourhood was redeveloped.
“San Bernardo is not suitable,” said Trampus. “Whereas the other square is. Removing the children there would mean returning it to the state it was in before.”
The case sparked debate in Venice, with local councillor Marco Gasparinetti arguing that the police intervention was disproportionate and questioning the priorities in a city grappling with overtourism, pickpockets and a dwindling local population.
Referring to the parents being summoned to the police station, Gasparinetti wrote on Facebook: “Were they scammers? Pickpockets? Drug dealers? No, they were the parents of [14] children.”
Gasparinetti added that it should have been enough to take the ball away and tell the children to stop playing. “Wouldn’t that have been more educational? Common sense and a sense of priority were lacking.”
Corriere del Veneto reported that the children might have been penalised due to their age, because areas where ball games are permitted are exclusive to children under 11.
Paolo Poggi, a retired professional footballer who was born in Venice, also contributed to the debate. “Long live children who spend time outdoors,” he told La Nuova Venezia newspaper. “The rules are sacrosanct, but common sense is needed. Children’s play experience must be preserved.”
