From ‘blue whale’ to ‘train surfing’. FdI proposes the crime of ‘challenge’: prison up to 3 years

From the ‘blue whale’ to the ‘train surfing’, passing through the ‘bird box’ and the ‘skull breaker’. Soon in Italy, those who participate in the so-called ‘challenges’, the extreme challenges that are launched on social media to often become viral and – many times – dangerous, could risk detention from 1 to 3 years. This is what a bill presented by the deputy of Fratelli d’Italia, provides. Darius Iaiaillustrated in the press room of the Chamber together with the group leader of FdI, Thomas Foti. Which provides for the introduction of Article 580-bis in the Penal Code which establishes the crime of ‘extreme challenges’.

“Whoever, in order to promote or participate in extreme challenges, of any nature, endangers his or her own safety or that of others, is punished with imprisonment from one to three years,” reads the article contained in the bill. The penalty is increased for the promoter, in the case in which the conduct is spread online, and in the case in which any means of public or private transport is used in the ‘challenge’. The proposal also provides for a conditional suspension of the penalty “subject to attendance of an adequate psychological recovery course”.

In the presentation press conference, Iaia cited phenomena such as ‘train surfing’, which consists of holding on to or walking on the carriages of moving trains: “Crazy episodes that often end with simple fines. Prevention and education – he said – are important, but sanctions also have their weight. Our goal is to throw a stone in the pond and open a public debate”.

“These are disastrous trends for our society, we must put people’s lives at the center and not followers”, declared the leader of FdI Tommaso Foti. “The platforms are very useful – he explained – but we must set limits when they fuel phenomena that end with death. Despite the difficulty of acting on platforms with offices abroad, a bill like this can be the tool to start making civil liability prevail for the dissemination of content of a certain type”. Foti then invited “those who oppose the thesis of the bill to advance alternative proposals”.