Italy opened an inquiry on Wednesday into allegations by a refugee fleeing Libya that some people on the boat he arrived on threw other refugees into the sea as a human sacrifice during a storm.
The 16-year-old Ghanaian spoke to a volunteer from the charity Save the Children after arriving on the island of Lampedusa earlier this month and his disturbing allegations against a group of Nigerians were reported to police.
"As soon as we received the testimony we opened an investigation as required," the local chief prosecutor, Renato Di Natale, said.
Emanuela Salvatori from Save the Children, said: "We can confirm that we collected the testimony from this minor and that an investigation is underway."
"It was like a rite of sacrifice," La Stampa quoted him as saying, adding: "The captain pointed them out and the others threw them overboard."
The Ghanaian, who is now in a refugee centre in Italy, said his brother was one of the victims and also spoke of women being raped on the boat.
The news reports said other refugees had confirmed the Ghanaian's story.
Thousands of refugees fleeing Libya - almost all of them migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia - have been arriving in Italy in recent weeks as the conflict in North Africa has escalated.
No comments:
Post a Comment