‘Bambini del Diavolo’: How 12-year-olds are terrorising the streets of Naples

Barely pubescent, menacing gangs known to locals as ‘children of the devil’ have emerged from an era defined by economic crisis, says Paul Tierney

Nihilistic attacks, often on other young people, have resulted in multiple fatalities (Alamy)

You hear them before you see them: a low, feral rumble rising to something shrill and uncomfortable. Lungs bellow for prominence, limbs kick and shove. Around the corner they emerge, tanned legs and bum-fluff moustaches, hormones not so much burgeoning as exploding into action. They are Naples’ I Bambini del Diavolo (IBDD), or The Devil Children, and they are 12 years old.

“These kids make a big problem for me,” complains Giuila Orfanelli, a waitress at Gran Caffe Gambrinus in the city’s well-heeled Chiaia district. “They buy one coffee each and make it last all night, and [are] always asking for endless glasses of tap water.” Signora Orfanelli is right to be aggrieved. Not only do they outstay their welcome, IBDD flick ash on the tables, blow smoke into the faces of hapless customers, and breathe new life into the antiquated term “juvenile delinquent”.

The silky haired girls are all Lolitas in the making, their denim shorts more cauterised than cut off. Boys appear circumspect and somewhat less convincing. A few loiter in designer streetwear, laughingly swamped in oversized T-shirts boasting Dsquared2 or Off-White logos. The more adventurous don mafiosa-style suits, aiming for power, but coming off like extras from Bugsy Malone.