‚If Europe does not adopt this solution, we will
adopt it anyway‘
[statewatch] ‚The first way to protect a
minor is to give him an identity and a document‘.
The Italian foreign affairs minister, Franco
Frattini, believes that a European database
containing the fingerprints and DNA of all the
children of the Roma ethnic group(*) living in
nomad camps is necessary as, without an identity,
they have no rights, nor can they be protected.
The former European justice commissioner pointed
out in an interview with Italian newspaper ‚Il
Messaggero‘, that "the first way to protect a
minor is to give them an identity and a
document", know who s/he is, because without this
"a Roma child has no right to health or school".
Moreover, "without an identity, it is impossible
to rescue these little innocent souls from the
hands of paedophiles and child traffickers".
Frattini considered that "a European database
with the names, fingerprints, DNA indicators of
all these children" is necessary "to make their
lives safer". The minister indicated that "if
Europe does not adopt this solution, that of
fingerprints, of DNA, which strikes me as being
the only possible one, we will adopt it anyway",
although he explained that they will always respect European norms.
The Italian government has embarked upon a
process to create a census of the people living
in underprivileged neighbourhoods and
settlements, that includes the taking of
fingerprints, including those of minors."
* Statewatch translation Note: " gitano ", the
term used in the Spanish original, would
translate as " gypsy " or " zingaro ", the
problem being that both in the UK and Italy the
term is derogatory, while in Spain a lot of work
has been carried out to give it back its positive
connotations, largely to do with culture,
performing arts and dark beauty… the same has
not happened, at least not to the same extent, in
Italy and the UK. " Roma " is what tends to be
used, but it is inadequate, as there are
different ethnic groups (Rom and Sinti in Italy,
Calò in Spain, travellers in the UK.
Original article: http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2008/07/13/internacional/1215944213.html
