Lucrezia Ciotti Following repeated bomb scares affecting thousands of Italian schools , the Ministry of the Interior has introduced new guidelines to distinguish real threats from serial and unfounded reports. The circular signed by Matteo Piantedosi clarifies when to intervene, when to evacuate buildings, and how to manage emergencies without needlessly disrupting school activities.
Meanwhile, investigations continue to identify those responsible for the emails.
Investigations into bomb threats: Postal Police search for email senders
Meanwhile, investigations continue to identify the authors of the messages that reached thousands of schools. The Rome Public Prosecutor's Office, through its counterterrorism magistrates, is working on two fronts: identifying the senders of the emails and collaborating with European law enforcement agencies to share information useful to the investigation.
The technical investigations have also been entrusted to specialists from the Postal Police, who are working to reconstruct the communications route through the server network used to reach the schools. Currently, investigations are underway against unknown persons based on suspicion of threats and raising alarm.
After the November 11 incidents, the following day over 3 schools reportedly received an email with substantially identical content, signed with the name of Mikhail Andropov.
On November 12, only 77 buildings were evacuated, 36 of which resumed classes shortly thereafter, while in the other schools, students remained in class as usual.
Another aspect highlighted in the circular concerns public communication: " The uncontrolled dissemination of news about alerts can contribute to amplifying their effects and increasing the public's sense of insecurity . " The document also specifies that these reports do not constitute cyber attacks, the management of which remains the responsibility of the competent authorities, including the Postal Police and the National Cybersecurity Agency.
Bomb scares, urgent circular from the Ministry of the Interior: evacuation procedures
The Ministry of the Interior is taking action following the flurry of bomb threats that have affected thousands of Italian schools in recent days. In a circular sent to prefects and police chiefs, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi provided new guidance on distinguishing concrete threats from mass messages, thus preventing unsubstantiated reports from disrupting normal school activities.
The document specifies that " A serial threat, consisting of identical or substantially similar messages from the same source and indiscriminately addressed to multiple recipients, is to be considered unreliable . " However, the assessment changes if additional risk factors are present, such as the discovery of suspicious objects, anomalies detected through video surveillance, previous incidents, or reports attributable to a specific target. In these cases, the police commissioner may order checks and adopt the necessary measures to ensure security, seeking to avoid interrupting services unless absolutely necessary.
The evacuation will therefore not be automatic , but will have to be evaluated based on the circumstances: " Only where deemed necessary will the police commissioner propose the evacuation of the facility to the prefect . " Coordination of information will be entrusted to the Department of Public Security through the Situation Center, which is operational 24 hours a day.