Carsoli (L’Aquila). Journalist and cameraman denounce aggression

Serena Massimini and Ennio Balducci were attacked by two oil industry employees whilst filming in the industrial area in the province of L’Aquila.

On October 5^th 2019, in Carsoli (L’Aquila), the state broadcaster news reporter Serena Massimini and video-operator Ennio Balducci were attacked by two oil industry employees while filming in the industrial area where citizens’ committees have been denouncing “unpleasant odours “. Massimini and Balducci had just finished filming from a highway context images when two oil officials in two cars arrived.

The two argued that their company had also been filmed and tried to prevent the reporters from working. Serena Massimini herself recounted the incident in the broadcast of the evening edition of the regional news program of October 5^th 2019: “They attacked us – she said – first verbally then physically. They blocked me, surrounded me, they crushed my arms and my hands and they took my phone. “Although Massimini pointed out to Ossigeno that her phone was then returned. The journalist went to the accident and emergency at Tagliacozzo (AQ) and filed a formal complaint of the incident.

The case was taken up by the Order of Journalists, Fnsi (National Federation of the Italian Press), Assostampa, Usigrai (the trade union of the journalists of the state broadcaster) and the editorial committee of the Abruzzo television newsto express solidarity with the journalist and the video-operator.

The two oil company employees have written to the state broadcaster claiming to have been defamed by the journalist’s broadcast reconstruction and sued the reporter. Serena Massimini told Ossigeno that she has not yet received any formal notification of the lawsuit.

RDM