The Italian government is considering a law that would jail people convicted of “glorifying illegal activity” online for up to five years, after YouTubers driving a Lamborghini SUV crashed into a car while filming a video, killing a five-year-old child.
Manuel Proietti died on the way to hospital and his mother and sister were seriously injured after the rented Lamborghini ploughed into the family’s Smart car in Casal Palocco, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Rome.
The crash last week reportedly occurred as a group called The Borderline undertook a challenge to drive the luxury vehicle for 50 hours straight.
Four people, aged between 20 and 23, were in the Lamborghini. The driver, who reportedly tested positive for cannabis, is under investigation for causing death by dangerous driving.
In an effort to avoid a repeat of the tragedy, the coalition government, which is headed by the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is considering extending a law that would target those who “glorify illegal activity” or “instigate violence” by posting videos online to generate an income.
The measure, if approved, would be an extension of a law targeting youth gang crime that was drafted by Matteo Salvini’s League party.
Andrea Ostellari, an undersecretary at the justice ministry, told Il Messaggero that the law was aimed at fighting “an emerging phenomenon” regarding young people who “instigate violence” or who “commit crimes via digital channels” in order “to obtain a few ‘likes’ without taking the risks into account”.
The Borderline, which had 600,000 subscribers, announced on Sunday that it was cancelling its YouTube channel, saying it was “morally impossible” to continue with something that had been intended to “offer young people entertainment with a healthy spirit”.
“The Borderline expresses sincere sympathy to the family [of Manuel],” the group said. “What happened has left us all with a deep wound, nothing will ever be the same again … our thoughts are only with Manuel.”
The group had come under pressure from Moige, a parents’ association, to cancel the YouTube channel.
“In a few minutes the lives of many families were destroyed,” said the association’s director, Antonio Affinita. “The family involved in the accident, in mourning over a serious loss and in unimaginable pain, and those of the young people who thought they were pulling a funny stunt.”
Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister and transport minister, often shares stories of dangerous driving across his social media accounts and has promised to toughen the rules of the highway code, including a proposal that would delay the issuance of a driving licence, allowable from the age of 18, to young people “involved in episodes of violence”.
