Parish priest of Trani attacked by a group of children, punched in the face

He got away with a few bruises in his nose and one eye pastor of Trani, Don Enzo De Ceglie, attacked yesterday evening, Monday 14 December, outside the church of the Guardian Angels, by some children, during the traditional feast of Saint Lucia.

The group of boys, some of whom are minors, were throwing firecrackers at another boy, when the priest intervened to remove them.

In response, according to what has been reconstructed, they tried to shut themselves up in the rectory and it was at that point that, while Don Enzo was trying to close the entrance door, at least a punch was punched in the face. The boys then fled.

The carabinieri intervened on the spot, while the parish priest was taken to the emergency room in Barletta where fractures to the nasal septum or other parts of the face were excluded.

Solidarity was expressed to Don Enzo De Ceglie, first of all, by the mayor Amedeo Bottaro, who spoke of "an episode of unprecedented severity" and this morning met him personally. In the afternoon, the mayor asked for and obtained a meeting with the prefect Maurice Valiante.

The bishop of Trani, monsignor, also intervened on the case Leonardo d'Ascenzo. “What happened - he said - represents a truly unfortunate episode, of which various expressions are recorded in our territory. What is most worrying is that their actors are also minors, who resort to the contempt of their peers with bullying and react towards adults with unpredictable physical violence. Once again I find confirmation of everyone's commitment to the task of formation, without ever being discouraged and stopping. Not forgetting that the world of adolescents and young people is dotted with many examples of solidarity, altruism and a culture of legality ".