Meloni's crackdown on masked rioters: tough measures that make sense

Giorgia Meloni's government is proposing prison sentences of up to 5 years and fines of 20,000 euros for anyone taking part in riots with their face covered or causing injuries. The measure also includes making parents financially liable when the offender is a minor.

The government of **Giorgia Meloni** has put forward a package of incivil and financial measures to curb street riots. The proposal provides for sentences of up to **5 years in prison** and fines of up to **20,000 euros** for those who take part in disturbances with their face covered or injure other people. The announcement comes amid tension over the protests that have shaken Italy in recent weeks.

## Harsher penalties when there are injuries or a covered face

The text draws a clear distinction between two aggravating factors. If the offender's face is covered, the sentence is increased. If someone has also been injured, the punishment rises even further. The logic is to deter both anonymity and physical violence during demonstrations.

The range of up to **5 years** places these offences at a serious level within the Italian Penal Code. The **20,000 euro** fine is no symbolic figure: for many wallets, it is a blow that is hard to absorb.

## "If you break it, you pay for it": the bill reaches the parents

The core message of the proposal is that the cost of the damage should fall on those who cause it. And when the offender is a minor, the financial responsibility shifts to their parents. In other words, the parents would have to cover the fine or pay for the repairs.

The measure touches on a classic legal debate: how far a family can be held accountable for the acts of an underage child. In economic terms, it shifts the incentive for control to the family unit.

## The economic cost of the riots

Beyond incivil deterrence, the plan responds to an accounting concern: damage to street furniture, shops and vehicles is paid for with public money. Meloni's formula seeks to ensure that this expense does not fall on the general taxpayer.

It remains to be seen how it works out in practice and what room the current Italian legislation allows. Any legal interpretation of the text is a matter for the courts.