A boy blows soapy bubbles from his terrace: the neighbors call the police to fine him
In a district of Ostia, a seaside resort near Rome, a classic battle between neighbors is taking place, even if the performers are a little less typical. On the one hand, Brando, an autistic child who plays soap bubbles on the balcony; on the other hand, the neighbors who called the police because they found the drops of soap left by those bubbles on their balcony. In short, the type of neighbors that no one would like to have; in short, a small and sordid story but made bitter by little Brando's condition, eight years old and suffering from autism, confined to the house by repeated lockdowns.
via La Repubblica
Francesca, the child's mother, in addition to the difficulties of raising an autistic boy, is facing a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis which struck her a few years ago. A situation that has not provoked pity in her neighbors, apparently. The officers ordered the woman to keep greater control over her son under penalty of a fine that could be imposed on him in the next few days.
Thankfully, not everyone in her neighborhood thinks the same about Brando. In Via dei Velieri in Ostia, the little one is known and loved by many who consider him a kind of mascot. But for mother Francesca this situation is tough. “Not everyone realizes that for autistic children, lockdowns have meant losing part of their life. Closed schools, suspended activities, canceled therapies: these children have seen their everyday life dissolve and have had to suffer an incomprehensible reality for their point of view. In this situation, other games have become rituals, other small habits that allow children to regain a certain "normality". These also include soap bubbles which are his entertainment in the hot hours of the day in the only open-air space we have access to. "
The mother continued: "Unfortunately, some water drips onto the terrace below but, despite having offered to clean up the tiny amount of mess, I received first an injunction from a lawyer and then a visit from the police. A real humiliation for an honest family that tries to face its difficulties alone and with its head held high. "
Relations with neighbors are not always easy, however in this case a little understanding would have been appropriate for a situation that is objectively difficult and made even more problematic by external events. In short, it's difficult to believe that a child who plays at blowing bubbles can be sanctioned for this type of "criminal activity".
What do you think of it?
