ROME - - Rome’s new Mayor, Virginia Raggi, has been criticised for failing to meet with the parents of murdered US student Beau Solomon, and instead attending the birthday celebrations of leader of her party, the Five Star Movement (M5S), Luigi Di Maio, on a boat on the Tiber. The location of the party was close to where Solomon was murdered, causing controversy about Raggi's lack of sensitivity towards his death and his family. 

 Although Raggi started her city council meeting with a minute long silence in memory of Beau Solomon, many were disappointed by the fact that she made no active gesture to show her sympathy for his murder, and didn’t make time to meet with his parents while they were in Rome, as Pope Francis did on Wednesday.

 Raggi’s failure to meet with Solomon’s parents is viewed as particularly disappointing not only because of the importance of diplomatic relations between Italy and the United States of America, but also because of the importance of drawing attention to the dangerous situation of walking along the river Tiber late at night. By not sufficiently acknowledging the death of Solomon, she has been seen to be disregarding the crucial importance of safety in the capital city.

 Raggi’s minute silence in dedication to Solomon has been regarded as a measure that was taken too late, after her real opportunity to show her solidarity with those affected by the death of the young American student. She has been criticised for trying to make up for her lack of real action when the moment has passed, leading to her efforts to be seen as superficial.

 Raggi has also been criticised for the order of her priorities following the murder of Solomon, as she was pictured at Di Maio’s 30^th birthday celebrations on a boat on the river Tiber, for which she reportedly arrived accompanied by driver and bodyguard. A contrast has been drawn between the glamorous party which was being enjoyed by Raggi and other politicians and the rest of the silent Tiber which was mourning the murder of the young American student.

 In addition to her reaction to the murder of Solomon, disappointment has also been expressed in relation to Raggi’s lack of official recognition of the Italians who were assassinated in Dhaka on July 2 or the 36 year old Nigerian man who was murdered in Fermo on Thursday, in comparison to the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala who recognised both these events.

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