Egg attack on Italian born Nigerian in Italy kicks up racism storm
Italian discus-thrower, Daisy Osakue, has left hospital after she was hit by an egg thrown from a car, in an attack she believes was racially motivated.
Police in Turin have cast doubt on a racist link, but the attack has inflamed a row surrounding populist Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini.
Mr Salvini has rejected claims by political opponents of a “racism emergency.”
He argues that the only emergency he is fighting involves crimes by immigrants.
Ms Osakue, 22, whose parents are originally from Nigeria, suffered damage to her cornea in the attack early on Monday in the Moncalieri area of southern Turin.
She had been training in the US for 10 months and had returned to Italy to find “a different country”. “Certainly the climate of widespread violence that I see scares me,” she said.
She holds Italy’s under-23 discus record and is set to take part in the European Athletics Championships which get under way in Berlin on 7 August.
She was concerned that the injury could affect her ability to compete.
“I’ll do all I can to be in Berlin,” she told reporters, adding that it was just an abrasion and after a few days and some eye drops she should be fine.