Elizabeth, Angelica and Francesca
Halilovic, three Roma sisters who died in a fire in their
family's camper van in Rome last week, were caught by the flames
in their sleep and burned alive as they were unable to get out
of the torched vehicle, according to an autopsy Monday.
Police are still combing Roma camps for a suspect in the fire
that killed the girls Tuesday night as part of a suspected feud
between Roma families.
The girls, aged 4, 8 and 20, were burned alive while their
eight brothers and parents escaped the blaze.
Rome investigators opened a homicide probe after the two
children and young woman died in the Centocelle district of the
capital.
The homicide probe was opened after shards of glass and
traces of flammable liquid were found outside the vehicle and
video footage caught a man with a Molotov cocktail.
Survivors of the blaze in the camper, which was home to a
family from Bosnia made up of 11 children plus the parents, told
investigators that they had recently received threats.
Another camper was reportedly torched in the area recently.
The camper was in a shopping centre car park, with the
Halilovic family having recently moved from a Roma camp,
reportedly amid tensions.
The incident shocked Italy and moved Pope Francis to send a
message to the family.
The Sant'Egidio lay Catholic charity, which does a lot of
work with Roma, said the incident showed "the Roma have been the
victims of unprecedented violence".
Former premier and centre-left Democratic Party (PD) leader
Matteo Renzi called for "harsher punishment than normally
envisaged for whoever caused the fire" while the Codacons
consumer group said "the camper should not have been there, it
is a sign of urban decay".
Amnesty International Italia said the "tragic
deaths...repropose the issue of the right to proper housing" on
the part of Roma families.
President Sergio Mattarella said the incident was "a
horrendous crime, whoever committed it".
He said "when you kill children you are below the level of a
human being".
Mattarella said "the culprits must be found and severely
punished".
Lower House Speaker Laura Boldrini tweeted "three sisters
burned alive in the camper in which they lived. An aberrant act,
full of hate and violence."
Pope Francis sent a "message of comfort" to the family.
It was taken to the Halilovic family by Papal Almoner Msgr
Konrad Krajewski who went there to "bring a greeting and
concrete aid to the parents and eight children", the Vatican
press office said.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA