In a shocking incident late Thursday, two vehicles belonging to the family of renowned Italian investigative journalist Sigfrido Ranucci were utterly destroyed by an explosion right outside his home, located just south of Rome.
Through a social media update, Mr. Ranucci confirmed that the blast, which occurred around 10 p.m. local time in the town of Pomezia, was the result of an explosive device positioned beneath the cars. Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, swiftly denounced the act, characterizing it as a deliberate attempt to intimidate Mr. Ranucci.
Mr. Ranucci shared a video on social media, offering a stark glimpse of the devastation: two cars reduced to wreckage on a street, with debris scattered around a black metal gate. Emergency vehicle lights flashed in the background, along with the presence of an emergency worker, underscoring the severity of the scene.
Caption: The aftermath of the explosion shows parts of a car scattered on the ground, with Carabinieri military police present outside Sigfrido Ranucci’s home in Pomezia, Italy, following the detonation of an explosive device.
Caption: Investigative journalist Sigfrido Ranucci pictured in Rome in 2017.
Mr. Ranucci is widely known as the host of ‘Report,’ an impactful investigative series broadcast on Italy’s public channel, Rai 3. Notably, he has been under police protection since 2021, following the discovery of an assassination plot against him by the ‘Ndrangheta, a notorious Italian organized crime syndicate. This incident highlights a broader issue: nearly two dozen Italian journalists investigating corruption and organized crime were receiving police protection this year alone, as reported by Reporters Without Borders, an organization dedicated to safeguarding press freedom.
Italy’s Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, also took to social media to unequivocally condemn the explosion, characterizing it as a direct assault on “the freedom of the press and the fundamental values of democracy.”
Minister Piantedosi further announced that he had issued orders to bolster all protective measures for Mr. Ranucci to their absolute maximum.
Throughout its run, ‘Report’ has consistently tackled sensitive subjects, including governmental corruption, mismanagement, and the intricate connections between politics and the mafia. Last year, for instance, Prime Minister Meloni’s own party, Fratelli d’Italia, initiated a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Ranucci and the program over a segment alleging links between the party and organized crime.
Just days before the attack, Mr. Ranucci had revealed that a new season of ‘Report’ was slated to launch on October 26, promising investigations into critical sectors such as banking, wind energy, and healthcare.
Fortunately, the explosion caused no physical injuries, according to Alessia Marzi, a fellow journalist at ‘Report.’ She confirmed that Mr. Ranucci and his daughter returned home approximately an hour after the devastating blast.