Madam, - I read with sorrow your report "Drowning of Roma girls brings racism to surface" (July 23rd). The story highlights the drowning of two Roma children aged 11 and 12 in the ocean near Naples, Italy.
Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe of Naples is quoted as saying: "The sadness comes not just from seeing those two bodies stretched out under the covers on the sand, but also from the sight of those on the beach sitting idly by and not feeling in any way involved. Sometimes, looking the other way and doing your own business can be worse than the events themselves."
According to the article 11-year-old Cristina Ebrehemovich and her 12-year-old sister Violetta travelled by suburban train, unaccompanied, to the beach at Torregaveta from the nomad encampment of Secondigliano where they lived. Cardinal Sepe makes the case that many beach users went about enjoying themselves and ignored the nearby bodies of these two young girls. But the headline implies these people were somehow racist and that the beach users would have acted differently had the girls not been Romas.
Cardinal Sepe's observations notwithstanding, the fact that two young children, neither of whom could swim, were allowed by their parents or guardians to travel unaccompanied to such an area would indicate the unfortunate drowning of these two innocent children should actually bring parental neglect to the surface.
Politically correct excuses such as that their solo venture is somehow acceptable in their unique culture should not be used to defend the blatant, and in this case lethal, lack of parental responsibility. - Yours, etc,
EDWARD D RAFFERTY Mill Park, Castlebridge, Co Wexford.