On Thursday, the Italian government approved a decree repressing teenagers from the age of 14 after committing various crimes.

Previously, those targeted could be deprived of their liberty for nine years, but the new decree sentences them to six years in prison, according to the international press.

The document, approved by the Council of Ministers, came a week after the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, visited Caivano, a suburb of the city of Naples, in southwest Italy, known for its high levels of crime and drug trafficking.

In July, two 12-year-old cousins were allegedly raped repeatedly by a group of young men in the same area.

During the visit, Meloni promised to improve security in Caivano and to rehabilitate an abandoned and dilapidated sports complex where some of the alleged rapes took place.

The decree includes funding for rehabilitation, as well as a provision to appoint a special security commissioner for Caivano.

Meloni's right-wing government, which came to power last year, has tried to show that it is tough on crime. One of the first acts of the new executive was to pass a decree banning rave parties.

Prior to her visit to Caivano, the Prime Minister received death threats, in part because of the phasing out of minimum survival incomes in Italy. (CMJornal)