Venice. Three 13-year-old boys first devastate the company and then try to set it on fire

VENICE – They devastated the offices and part of the laboratories of one carpentry, the largest in the historic center, in an almost scientific way. Nothing or almost nothing escaped the pickaxe of the gods vandals, who, after having also unloaded the fire extinguishers and left all the water taps open, had returned to finish the job and set fire to the premises, but were blocked by the owner and taken over by the police. Surprise: there were three boys, approximately 13 years.

By law none of them are attributable and therefore will never be held accountable for the numerous crimes committed during the raid, which took place in two stages between Saturday and Sunday. However, their families may be sued for compensation for damages, which amount to at least 100 thousand euros.

THE SHOCK

The Giorgio Girelli company is located at the eastern end of Venice, on the island of Saint Helena, a short distance from the Biennale pavilions and the Penzo stadium where Venezia Calcio recently celebrated its return to Serie A. It is not just any carpentry shop, but an important reality, founded in 1966, the year in which the drama of Aqua Granda, but who wanted to bet on staying in the city against everything and everyone. For decades it has been designing and producing high-end furnishing solutions and among its most iconic creations is undoubtedly the hall of the Veneto Regional Council, in Palazzo Ferro-Fini.
«We are shocked to have seen such devastation – says Mauro Girelli – they literally destroyed a company, but fortunately they did not enter the production department, where sophisticated and very expensive machinery is located. They also tried to set fire to the offices, but if they had tried in the paint shop, where there is a warehouse with 600 liters of paints and solvents, everything would have blown up. Considering the gravity of the event, I am relieved that those three unfortunates did not suffer any physical damage.”

THE STORY

The company is insured, but in the meantime, fixing the mess is up to the owner and his seven collaborators.
«I assure you – he continues – the thing that hurt me the most was seeing my father, 86 years old, remain silent with teary eyes as he observed 60 years of sacrifices and renunciations ended in shatters. They stole, but they didn’t take anything. Gratuitous violence on things one cannot expect. For example, there was a beautiful tablet costing 2 thousand euros, new: it had been hit with a pickaxe, like any other object.”
The vandalistic raid, consumed without any explanation, occurred in two phases. The first occurred on Saturday afternoon, when vandals broke the windows of the office with stones, entered the premises and devastated everything. Computers, internal windows, ornaments, chairs, furnishings, furnishings and then flooded some parts of the premises.

«It was one of my employees who noticed this first “attack” – explains Girelli – who had gone to check the mooring of our work boat on Sunday morning. Seeing the devastation, she called me and notified the police while my son Giacomo documented the damage. I was in Senigallia for a motorbike rally – he continues – and from there I rushed back to Venice. When I arrived, it was 3.30pm, I saw three kids holding a pickaxe that belonged to us in an adjacent shed. We stopped them and called the police, who took them away.”
In that second vandalism raid they had triggered outbreaks in six different places, burning documents, a pillow, a hanging jacket, chairs and other objects. Outbreaks that only luck did not cause to erupt into fire.
«At least I looked them in the face. There was a lot of anger in me – concludes Girelli – but also a bit of sadness at seeing kids doing these things. If we are good we will only have 15 days of downtime, but one thing is certain: we will struggle but we will get back up.”

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