A high school teacher in southern Italy has been suspended and is under formal disciplinary investigation after posting a message on social media in which he wished for the death of the young daughter of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Stefano Addeo, 65, a teacher at the ‘Medi’ high school in Cicciano, near Naples, published a Facebook post in which he said he hoped Meloni’s eight-year-old daughter, Ginevra, would “meet the same fate” as a 14-year-old girl who was recently murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Afragola. The post was quickly deleted, but not before it was widely circulated.
Following the public outcry, the Campania Regional School Office announced it had initiated disciplinary proceedings. In a statement on Tuesday evening, it confirmed that “in order to guarantee and protect the serenity of the school community,” Addeo had been placed under precautionary suspension, effective immediately, pending the outcome of the investigation. Under Italian law, such a suspension includes a halving of salary, though family allowances remain in place.
La Repubblica reported how Addeo subsequently attempted suicide by ingesting a combination of alcohol and medication on Sunday evening. He was found by emergency services, reportedly alerted by the school’s headmistress, and taken to the hospital. Despite refusing hospitalization initially, he was later discharged in stable condition.
The teacher attempted to deflect blame for the post, telling Corriere della Sera that he had not written the message himself but had relied on ChatGPT to compose it. “Carelessly and stupidly, I published it,” he said, calling the post a “mistake” in a letter addressed to Meloni. He added, “I apologize for the content of the post: One never wishes death, especially to a child,” though he also made clear he had no intention of retracting his political views, stating: “I do not feel represented by this government. I have never done politics in the classroom. My students love me.”
However, according to reports in the Italian press, Addeo does wish death on children at least semi-regularly. Il Sole 24 Ore reported on Sunday that Addeo had previously made similar inflammatory comments, including a separate post wishing the children of Meloni, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini the same fate as children in Gaza.
The backlash from his latest social media entry has not just resulted in a suspension from his job, but Addeo is now under investigation for incitement to hatred, as well as threats and harassment.
The teacher has claimed that objects have been thrown at his apartment windows and that he has received numerous death threats from supporters of Meloni. Police reports have been filed in connection with these incidents.
Meloni has not responded directly to Addeo’s letter or request for a meeting, but in remarks widely interpreted as addressing the incident, she denounced the “ideological fanaticism that has lost all measure.”
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