Knife crime among young people has become a national security concern in Italy, prompting a new directive aimed at strengthening cooperation between schools and law enforcement. Signed by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, the measure allows for enhanced security checks at school entrances, including the possible use of metal detectors.
The initiative follows a rise in violent incidents involving students and was triggered by the fatal stabbing of a teenager by a classmate inside a school building in La Spezia. In that case, local authorities had already introduced a coordinated security model involving school principals, prefectures and police forces, an approach that can now be extended nationwide.
The directive stresses that safety is a fundamental prerequisite for educational freedom and acknowledges that schools often reflect broader social issues such as marginalisation and youth distress. As a result, the response is designed to be locally tailored, with prefects and school heads assessing risks alongside health and social services.
Security measures will be introduced gradually and proportionately, with stricter controls reserved for schools affected by serious or repeated incidents. In the most critical situations, authorities may authorise the use of metal detection devices, preferably on a temporary and non-invasive basis, as already tested in parts of Liguria.