Michela Persico's outburst over "baby gangs" in Turin playgrounds (October 2026)
Starting on 22 October 2026, TV presenter and influencer Michela Persico says on her own social-media channels that she feels "terrorised" taking her son to the playground in front of his school, in Turin, because of the constant presence of groups of youths who allegedly take over the area meant for younger children. "Does it seem normal to you that I should have to be terrified to take my son to the playground in front of the school because it's now overrun by boys who gang up and terrorise him?" Persico writes, without specifying the neighbourhood or the name of the school.
In a video posted the following day, Persico describes incidents of threatening looks, shoving and stones thrown at her and her son, saying she has given up taking him on the playground rides and has had similar experiences at Parco del Valentino too. The presenter appeals to families over the upbringing of young people. At the time of writing, no formal reports to the police and no action by local institutions over the incidents described have been recorded; the case, which spread through social media, has nonetheless reignited the city's debate on perceived safety in public parks and near Turin's schools.