Gratteri to students, ‘I’m afraid of death but I’m free’

CASTELLAMMARE DI STABIA (NAPLES), 23 APR – Fear of dying at the hands of a criminal? “Yes, I have a lot of it, but I look death in the face and I don’t back down. My personal freedom is limited, but my true freedom has become ever wider. I’m not afraid of anyone, neither criminals nor politicians nor the powerful people of all kinds.” Thus the prosecutor of Naples, Nicola Gratteri, in a meeting with the students of the “Francesco Severi” scientific high school in Castellammare di Stabia, in which he answered the students’ questions and held a lesson on legality. There is plenty of advice for those who intend to dedicate themselves to legal studies for a career as a magistrate: “First – he said – study the Italian language seriously, starting from elementary school. I know young lawyers who are incapable of putting the accent or the apostrophe in the right place Read books and newspapers, learn more, form an opinion. You can know the legal subjects very well, but when you write an exam paper, if you don’t know Italian, you won’t pass the paper. And then you get angry with the recommendations ‘ and end up at the psychologist.” Studying is important for any career, he said to those who were talking about the difficulty of getting involved in politics: “Studying history, reading many books is fundamental. But no one orders you to do politics. And those who haven’t read even a single book in We have too many parliaments. Now we need educated politicians.” For Gratteri, however, a career in the police force is one of the most stimulating and exciting professions to aim for. (HANDLE).