Italy: Violence Against Referees – New Law
- The Italian government has stiffened penalties for those who attack match officials, perhaps including prison sentences.
- This change to the penal code addresses a surge in assaults against referees.Individuals who push, hit, or threaten these officials now face substantially harsher consequences.
- Junior Justice Minister Andrea Ostellari emphasized the importance of fair play.
Italy Toughens Penalties for violence Against Match Officials
The Italian government has stiffened penalties for those who attack match officials, perhaps including prison sentences. The move, enacted Friday, grants referees and other officials the same legal protections as police officers and public servants.
This change to the penal code addresses a surge in assaults against referees.Individuals who push, hit, or threaten these officials now face substantially harsher consequences.
Junior Justice Minister Andrea Ostellari emphasized the importance of fair play. “Sport is loyalty and sharing,” Ostellari said. “Those who do not accept it are warned: from tommorow violent behavior and aggression against referees will be punished without delay, even with prison.”
The Italian Soccer Referees Association (ISRA) has been in discussion with the government since December regarding the rise in abuse. serie A referees protested the escalating violence that month by wearing black marks on their faces during games.
One notable incident involved 19-year-old Diego Alfonzetti, a referee who was attacked during a youth match in Sicily last season.In March, Alfonzetti stood with the day’s officials on the Stadio Olimpico pitch before the lazio-Roma derby as a show of support.
What’s next
The italian government is expected to monitor the effectiveness of the new law and continue working with the ISRA to ensure the safety and respect of match officials in all levels of soccer.