Gay rights organisations on Monday called on the government to draw up a new law on gay hate crimes following a series of attacks on homosexuals that have taken place in the last week.
Aurelio Mancuso, president of the Arcigay association, said Italy had been gripped by ''a fit of homophobia'' after a 53-year-old man in Palermo stabbed his 18-year-old son over the weekend because he could not accept his sexuality.
''In the last two years the long list of murders, violent attacks and discrimination has grown frighteningly, to total inertia from the Italian political class,'' he said.
''We are walking down a dangerous path, which will lead millions of homosexuals living in Italy to believe that living in their country is wrong, an impossible undertaking,'' he said, blaming the current climate on the Catholic church and right-leaning politicians.
In another incident in Rome on Friday, gay Internet radio journalist Christian Floris was attacked outside his home, while in Naples last week a transsexual prostitute was beaten to death.
''By now our country has been abandoned to homophobic violence,'' said Luca Liguoro, president of another gay group, Rosa Arcobaleno.
''We really need a law which punishes those who verbally or physically assault homosexuals and lesbians,'' he added.
The director of the gaynews.it website, Franco Grillini, joined calls for a new law, pointing out that the justice committee of the last government had already drawn up a blueprint for the bill.
''I appeal to the (new justice committee) to get hold of the text already agreed upon, put it on the day's agenda and facilitate its approval in the fastest time possible,'' he said.
