The case

Violence at school: 13-year-old stabs teacher in Rome. Valditara calls the headteacher

The incident took place at a secondary school in Centocelle. The woman, who is in shock, is not in a life-threatening condition. In the Naples area, a 14-year-old high school pupil was found with an 18-centimetre blade in his rucksack.

by Rome Editorial Staff

18 September 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

The woman’s life is not in danger
The countdown on social media
Valditara hears from the headteacher and applauds the Kids Act
The shock to the school community
The dismay of the other pupils’ parents
The previous one in Bergamo
The Government’s Security Decree

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

A 13-year-old pupil at the Istituto Giovanni Verga secondary school in Rome sprayed pepper spray in a teacher’s face and then stabbed her. The incident took place this morning in Centocelle, in the east of the capital. The boy, who was wearing a helmet with his mobile phone attached to it as if it were a GoPro, filmed the whole thing live on Telegram.

The woman’s life is not in danger

Carabinieri from the local station attended the scene following a call to 112. An ambulance rushed to the scene: the victim – Isabella Marsilio, aged 66 (who is due to retire next year) – was taken to Vannini Hospital; she is in a state of shock but her life is not in danger. “What a fright, I wasn’t expecting that,” she told the president of the 5th Municipality, Mauro Caliste, who visited her alongside the councillor for Education Policy, Cecilia Fannunza.

The countdown on social media

The boy was taken to the police station, accompanied by his parents. He re-enacted the incident via video call with a group of people who are now the focus of the investigation: his smartphone has been seized. His latest post on TikTok, published between 1 am and 2 am, featured an image on a black background with the words ‘-5 hours’. A countdown. Then it stopped. Among the content reposted on his profile are also references to Adam Peter Lanza, the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Primary School massacre on 14 December 2012.

Valditara meets with the headteacher and welcomes the Kids Act

The Government’s response came immediately from the Minister for Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, who spoke to the headteacher Wanda Giacomini, “expressing his sympathy and solidarity with the teacher who was stabbed and with the entire school community”. According to the ministry, the young man appears to have always been a quiet boy, with no particular problems. Initial reports suggest, however, that ‘the influence of social media and violent websites he had reportedly been exposed to recently’ may have played a part in the incident. ‘In addition to educating pupils about respect and the risks associated with the internet,” the minister states, “we must prevent children under the age of 15 from accessing social media and dangerous platforms. In this regard, the EU Commission’s Kids Act is a step in the right direction.” According to Valditara, we need to restore respect for teachers’ authority and the rules, as well as discipline and a sense of responsibility. “We must not be afraid to say that those who do wrong must pay.”

The shock to the school community

The school community is ‘shocked’ by what has happened and, through the headteacher, is asking for ‘discretion and cooperation. We are talking about minors and we must think of the children’. Confirming the minister’s statement: there had been no warning signs. The boy had never caused “any concern of this sort, of any kind, either here or at home”. But some pupils outside the school speculate that he was motivated by a debt he owed: “He hated her”.

The dismay of the other pupils’ parents

According to some accounts, the student changed in the loo, put on his airsoft helmet and goggles, sprayed the substance, stabbed the victim and then landed two punches. He was reportedly stopped by a classmate. “He was a good lad,” people at the school say, “but he was always taking notes.” There is consternation amongst the parents outside. “This has always been an exceptional school. We don’t know what’s happening to these young people. We’re afraid for our children and we want more security and more checks,” said the mother of a pupil.

In the Naples area, a 14-year-old found with an 18-centimetre blade in his rucksack

On the same day, at a science-focused secondary school in Tersigno (Naples), a 14-year-old was found to have an 18-centimetre blade in his rucksack. The headteacher called the Carabinieri, who seized the weapon. Initial investigations suggest that the boy, who has been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, had had a serious row the previous day with a classmate.

The precedent in Bergamo

Unfortunately, these are the latest in a series of incidents. On 25 March, again at a secondary school in Trescore Balneario (Bergamo), a pupil wearing camouflage trousers and a T-shirt bearing the word ‘revenge’ stabbed Chiara Mocchi, his French teacher, whilst filming the whole incident on Telegram.

The Government’s Security Decree

In response to concerns about the spread of weapons in schools, the Government had also introduced the Security Decree in April, containing the restrictions on knives and a ban on sales to minors, including online.