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Year XVI -Issue. 07 - 2000
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 CURRICULUM |
Gabriella De Marco
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INTERVIEW WITH MP TESTA As it has emerged from our previous survey on moral subjugation and religious and magic sects, political forces, too, are considering this problem, and the necessity to make a law on this subject, also following the example of other European countries, is now deemed unavoidable. In order to learn something more about this serious issue, we have interviewed MP Lucio Testa, from Democrats, the first to subscribe a bill that intends to reconsider the whole problem.
Mr Testa, what is your position on the delicate subject concerning the activity of sects? The most recent events - the nun murder in Chiavenna by three girls, the violation of a number of tombs in Gaeta cemetery, - and more in general the alarm launched by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the proliferation of Satanic groups, demonstrate that these phenomena are now widespread. We are particularly worried not about external events, but rather about the moral and cultural void that mainly seizes young people, but also some other social groups. The article 8 of our Constitution grants freedom of religion, thus we cannot prosecute anybody at least unless their practices become an offence. It is rather necessary to strengthen prevention, but if we do not manage to take our society back to the ideals of civilization or faith, then there is the risk of simply removing metastases that will continually re-form. Is there a bill aimed at contrasting this subtle and serious proliferation of sects, which are widespread in Italy? Yes, and it has been introduced by me and some other colleagues of the Democrat group after a tormented study. While preparing it, we had to address the same difficulty officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs had to deal with when they drew up their report on the new magic or religious movements, that is, how to legally define a sect. We established that a sect should be defined basing on what it does, therefore giving enquirers and magistrates the suitable means to evaluate the activity of these groups. We have had recourse to the old law on secret political associations, establishing that the measures taken against these associations (liability to punishment, unless there are other offences, up to 5 years for promoters, dissolution of the association and confiscation of goods, disqualification from public offices, suspension of civil servants while waiting for the procedure settlement) can also be enforced against these self-proclaimed religious, esoteric or magic movements, in case they have recourse to secret acts or rituals contrary to law and public morality, as well as being detrimental to people dignity and rights. |
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On. Lucio Testa |
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