A black Italian athlete was wounded in the eye when an egg was thrown at her by 'racist' attackers in Italy. Discus thrower Daisy Osakue, who was born in Italy to Nigerian immigrant parents, was crossing the road in the northern city of Turin when she was targeted. The year-old, who holds Italian citizenship and was expected to compete for Italy in the European Athletics Championships next week, said she thinks she was mistaken for one of the African prostitutes who often work in the area.
It is the latest of at least nine attacks investigated as possible acts of racism,that have taken place since Italy's anti-migrant government took power. Asylum-seekers, legal immigrants and others who aren't ethnic Italians are among the people injured since early June. They include a month-old Roma girl who was shot while she was in her mother's arms on a Rome street and left partially paralyzed. Italian athlete Daisy Osakue pictured on Monday was wounded in the eye when an egg was thrown at her by 'racist' attackers in Italy.
Osakue, who is also a sprinter and hurdler, said she saw a car speeding toward her while she was in a crosswalk and dashed to the sidewalk to avoid the vehicle. She recalled feeling something strike her eye and falling forward. Her ability to compete in the track-and-field championships is uncertain because eggshell fragments injured her cornea. Police were investigating to determine if it was a racially motivated attack.
In the case of the Roma child, police concluded she was shot by an air gun that an Italian man fired from his balcony. The man denied targeting Roma people, saying the pistol misfired while he was trying to adjust it. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-migrant League party that is a partner in the coalition government sworn in June 1, wished Osakue a speedy recovery Monday, but dismissed as 'nonsense' concerns about a 'racism emergency in Italy.
The year-old pictured , who holds Italian citizenship and was expected to compete for Italy in the European Athletics Championships next week, said she thinks she was mistaken for one of the African prostitutes who often work in the area. Salvini campaigned for the March 4 election with the slogan 'Italians first' and accused migrants of robbing Italians of work.
