Ioana M, a 14 year-old Romanian, studies in a school near Tor Bella Monaca where several xenophobic manifestations took place against Romanian immigrants over the past weeks. During one of the classes, her Italian teacher asked the pupils what they think about the recent tensions between the Romanians and Italians.

Tensions intensified starting last week when a Romanian migrant killed an Italian woman.

Among students, some expressed their approval while others strongly disapproved with the issue. However, the Italian teacher interrupted the heated debate on grounds that there were four students of Romanian-origin in the class.

Some of Ioana's friends said that the teacher declared that if Romanians are violent, they should remain in their country.

The girl’s mother says that Ioana cried all day and refused to allow her mother to send a letter to the school’s director to ask about the event, for fear of the consequences.