By Letara Draghia
Copyright euroweeklynews
A 14-year-old boy, Paolo Mendico, took his own life in Santi Cosma e Damiano, Latina, on September 11, just hours before the start of the new school year.
Prosecutors in Cassino have now opened an investigation into incitement to suicide, while his family say he was the victim of persistent bullying ignored by multiple schools.
Paolo Mendico’s family say bullying complaints were ignored
Paolo’s mother, Simonetta La Marra, told La Repubblica, “Our son was persecuted. We always reported everything to the school. But we were ignored. He was a good student, but lately he was saying he didn’t like school anymore. In elementary school, he faced aggression from his classmates and taunts from his teachers; in middle school, he was bullied by his professors. Then came the praise in his first year at the Pacinotti Computer Institute. More bullying, more suffering. How many times have I seen him cry?”
According to his parents, Paolo was mocked for his long hair and called names such as “Paoletta” and “sissy”. La Marra said, “They waited for him in the bathroom. First there was one, then there were more… It all ended only after Paolo decided to cut off all his hair.” (il Fatto Quotidiano).
The family also described earlier incidents, including a complaint in primary school when a classmate threatened Paolo with a plastic screwdriver while a teacher failed to intervene.
Brother’s letter to Giorgia Meloni
In the wake of his death, Paolo’s brother Ivan Roberto Mendico wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, demanding urgent reform:
“On September 11, 2025, my brother Paolo, just fifteen years old, decided to take his own life following repeated episodes of bullying he suffered at the Rossi Institute. Despite these situations being repeatedly reported… no concrete action was taken to protect his dignity and safety. I therefore ask that the death of my brother and the other victims not be hushed up and that concrete and decisive measures be urgently adopted to combat bullying in Italian schools.” (La Repubblica).
Ivan stressed the need for a “culture of prevention, responsibility, and respect” and said the tragedy must serve as a “wake-up call that can no longer be ignored.”
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara has ordered two inspections – one at Paolo’s former middle school and another at the high school he had just enrolled in. Investigators have seized Paolo’s phone and, according to reports, the phones of several peers.
The case has also drawn international attention. Ivan confirmed that Pope Leo XIV was informed of Paolo’s death.
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