Around the internet make videos with Italian police officer of the Carabinieri corps where he holds a little girl from Somalia in his arms on her island Lampedusa where more than 8,500 migrants arrived last week.

The carabinieri can be seen holding the little girl aside and trying to calm her down before handing her over to her mother moments later.

“That day, there was a huge crowd because people were trying to be the first to board the Italian mainland,” he tells BFMTV from Lampedusa.

“I was afraid that the little one would be trampled, so I took her in my arms to get her away from the crowd, it was my instinct that spoke,” he said.

“I improvised, I said to the mother ‘give me your daughter, I’ll take her away from the chaos’, it was a spontaneous gesture to protect her,” continues Pasquale. “When I took her in my arms, she didn’t cry, it was like she trusted me, it was something very sweet,” he added.

He then explained to the little girl that her mother would return. “They left quickly because they had to board and that’s how it ended.” He then returned to help his colleagues and lost sight of the little girl.

“I don’t even know what her name is,” Pasquale noted.

He has no news of the little girl and her mother, but explains that when he saw the images again, he felt extremely moved and happy that these images were able to go around the world. “With my colleagues, we are doing our best to help these people who want a better future,” he said.