STRADELLA – Father Daniele Lottari has appealed for understanding and support for the group of teenagers who assaulted him during a Friday evening raid on the local parish community center (oratorio), where they spat on him and threw a punch. The incident occurred in front of dozens of children and their parents.
Speaking during his homily on Sunday morning, the vicar of the Pavia parish stated, “We must not add violence to violence. They are fragile young people; they need to be helped. Certainly, they must also be corrected for their wrong behaviors, but it is absolutely not a case for hating them.”
The assailants are believed to be part of a “pack” of minors, all around 13-14 years old, who have been causing ongoing disturbances in Stradella. According to multiple testimonies, the same group is suspected of assaulting an elderly man and a young woman, and stealing a fire extinguisher from a building.
This morning, before and after mass, several parishioners approached Father Daniele to ask how he was. The priest reassured everyone, saying, “I’m fine, no problem.” His homily included only a brief reference to the event, with an invitation for all to adopt a compassionate attitude towards the youths.
Mayor Gianpiero Bellinzona also addressed the attack on social media, stating, “We are deeply shocked and saddened by what happened to Father Daniele, victim of a cowardly assault by a group of minor boys during a party at the oratory, in the presence of children and their families.” He extended the community’s “solidarity, affection, and closeness” to the priest and all who were present, praising the oratory as a cornerstone for many young people and families and affirming that “no act of violence will overshadow the commitment, dedication, and daily witness of faith and welcome.”
The mayor also acknowledged residents’ concerns regarding the actions of the youth gang that stormed the community center. He assured that “the situation, which has seen the repetition of intolerable episodes by some minors in recent days, is being handled by the law enforcement agencies,” who are “the only competent authorities on the matter,” operating under the coordination of the prefect. “We have the utmost confidence in their work,” Bellinzona added, pledging the administration’s “complete availability for any necessary collaboration.”