The suicide of fourteen -year -old Paulo Mentico, who lived outside the city of Latina, less than one hundred kilometers from Rome, has caused in Italy. Paulo committed suicide in his bedroom, a few minutes after sending a message, via a mobile, to his classmates. “At school, keep me a place in the first row,” the teenager wrote.

According to members of his family, Paulo was a goal of school bullying and homophobic attacks. In the class he was called “little girl” and “Paola”. A good student, he loved fishing and playing bass. He changed school, but that wasn’t enough and in the first high school the nightmare resumed.

Paulo Mentiko’s older brother, in a letter addressing Pope Leo ‘, to Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and the Minister of Education Giuseppe Valditaras, called for actual measures to be taken to avoid any other adolescent suicides. “My brother’s death certifies the failure of our society,” Ivan Menticus writes.

“At my child’s funeral, only one classmate came and there were teachers in the past who caught the bowling and indifferent despite our complaints,” said the mother of the young man. His teachers deny any direct or indirect liability, but the Italian Minister of Education ordered an immediate administrative investigation. The Casino Public Prosecutor’s Office, at the same time, is investigating this tragic case with an emphasis on the offense of suicide.

“The problem of bowling is unfortunately increased throughout Europe due to the use of social media. It is a huge issue, “said the Head of the Italian Ministry of Education, Valditara. Representatives of all political parties emphasized the basic importance of the immediate reaction, by the competent authorities, to any violent behavior at the expense of adolescents within and outside school institutions.

A recent research shows that 19% of children aged 11 to 13 are a victim of bowling and violent attacks, including homophobia. These attacks triple the risk of depression and suicidal tendencies.