The online sales giant Amazon has removed children’s “wartime refugee” outfits from its Italy store after they were decried as being insensitive to the current refugee crisis. Oliviero Forti, the head one of Italy’s biggest Catholic charities slammed the sale of the outfits, calling it “shameless” and urging the British firm selling them to donate any money made towards refugee causes.
"My criticism is not aimed at Amazon, but rather at the British company selling the costume,” Forti told the Telegraph. “It is a question of good taste and of having the courage in certain moments to recall products that are no longer appropriate.”
The costumes are described as being World War I and World War II evacuee outfits, and are still for sale via other retailers. The children in the adverts are wearing the 1940s attire, and are described as representing orphans carrying small suitcases.
In Italy, it is common practice for children to dress up during pre-Lent festivities. Other outfits for sale alongside the “War refugee” costumes includes Batman suits and Disney characters.
Amazon.it removed the items after complaints, noting that they were listed in “bad taste” and presented “in an offensive way.”
Forti acknowledged that the outfits had been available for some time, however in the current situation they were inappropriate.
“That reality for children was extremely traumatic in World War I and World War II, just as it is very painful for the millions of people experiencing it today,” he said.
