Emanuele Nicola Affaticati, a young boy of Romanian origin, will be given the recognition of "Alfiere della Repubblica" (Standard Bearer of the Republic) in Italy for preventing a murder.

Emanuele lives in the town of Fiorenzuola D’Arda, in the Piacenza area. In December 2022, he foiled the plan of a man who intended to kill his former partner.

That day, returning from school on a regional train, the boy inadvertently overheard a telephone conversation with another passenger who kept repeating in Romanian that he was going to his ex-girlfriend to kill her. Knowing the language and understanding the content of the call, Emanuele realized the seriousness of the situation and alerted the police, which led to the man's arrest.

"We are very happy: at first, we thought it was a joke, a prank, then we spoke with the Secretariat of the Quirinale Palace: the recognition will be awarded on May 13, and for us, for my son, it is a great honor, and we are proud," said Ramona Rosemari Lascu, the boy’s mother, cited by G4Media.

Emanuele's sense of duty was instilled in him by his family, according to the mother.

"My father is a colonel in the Romanian Navy," Mrs. Lascu recounted. "I grew up, and my son was also raised somewhat like us, with the figure of a very good father, an officer, as a reference point," she said.

The recognition is to be conferred by the President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.

“Now I've told him that he needs to move forward without thinking he is someone special. It was a normal gesture," said Emanuele's mother.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Enzodebe | Dreamstime.com)