Chinese mourn father and daughter murdered in Rome

Thousands of Chinese and Italians marched through the streets of Rome Tuesday to mourn a Chinese merchant and his daughter who were murdered in a robbery, pressing Italian authorities to boost public security.

The demonstration started at 3:30 pm from Rome's Piazza Vittorio to the crime scene in the Tor Pignattara area where the two Chinese were killed December 4.

"Many Chinese merchants in Italy closed their shops to join today's demonstration. Some asked for leave from their jobs. We are here to show our solidarity. I hope the Italian government can hear our calls and really improve the notorious security condition in the city," Ge Zhaohai, a Chinese tourist guide working in Rome, told the Global Times.

Ge said an increasing number of his customers traveling to Italy recently were robbed or had their belongings stolen. He attributed the worsening economic situation in Europe as being behind the surge.

Chen Mingwu, a secretary of the Rome Overseas Chinese Association and a sponsor of the event, told the Global Times that thousands of Chinese, as well as Italians and other expatriates, had joined Tuesday's memorial march.

Chen said many communities were appalled by the tragedy and hoped that Italian authorities would hunt down the murderers and improve the security situation.

On Monday, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano visited Zheng Liyan, the wife of the murdered merchant who was injured in the attack. 

"It is something that we owe to ourselves. It is a duty that we owe to Italy, and it is also a duty that we owe to the Chinese people and the Chinese community," Napolitano said.

Zheng, who is now being treated at Rome's San Giovanni hospital, ran a bar and a money exchange in Rome with her husband.

The couple were on their way home with their 9-month-old baby when two armed robbers approached them and demanded cash. They shot dead Zheng's husband and her daughter after being rebuffed.

During the visit, Napolitano said he is satisfied with the commitment of the Italian government, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to bring those responsible to justice.

Two North African migrants aged between 20 and 30 are now suspected by Italian police, and a massive manhunt both in Italy and abroad has been launched with fingerprints and DNA evidence being used to track them down.