How horrendous. All animals used in circuses are forced to perform, too, often through the use of brutal methods. Caring people should BOYCOTT ANIMAL CIRCUSES. The ones that don't use animals are also much more entertaining.

MaryF, Silver Spring (Md.) , USA

I agree with Harry from Oxford. In the U.S., I've read of two separate slavery and abuse instance in the past two months, one of which involved the death of the person being held captive. Moreover, there are numerous instances of human trafficking and abuse all the time. We shouldn't say that "Italy is to blame," but we should do everything that we can to prevent these things from happening and taking action when they do happen.

Alex, Durham, United States

Bulgaria has been a member of EU since 2007 So they are not illegals, They have been slaves and Human Trafficking is illegal even if most of the EU wishes to do nothing about it.!!

For those of you who thought this was an acceptable way to treat other humans in 2008. You embarrass yourselves and your country. Where ever you are from..

When someone is promised one thing and it turns out to be another is this right.. To be told you will have to do one thing, and be paid a certain amount and it turns out to be something else and you and your family are held hostage and beaten is something else.

Unfortunately people who are always less fortunate than ourselves financially will always be exploited if they can be.. Remember this for one day it may happen to you and if your ignorance believes it cant look at every continent on the plant because it does..

harry t, oxford, uk

I completely agree with Jayil, it's high-time Robocops were introduced to cleanse the streets of scum like these Italian circus charlatans. Imagine one taking out that fish-tank, and razing the ringmaster and his cronies, awesome.

One the other hand, humans by nature like hurting one another, so do we really want an army of good-two-shoes robots standing in the our way? And what happens if they get too smart for their own good, huh? Maybe time to re-load Matrix and Terminator in your DVD, wise-guy.

bailz, london,

Why there's always some one trying to involve the Catholic faith or the Vatican in this matters? How would you like if I spoke about children working in English mines, or Dickensian poverty, or hooliganism as a natural consequence of Protestant beliefs or of the Church of England?

J.J. Tato, Alicante, Spain

@ Dave from Cheshire. I am Italian-born and I do not see why Italy and/or I should "hang our heads in shame". Italy has signed the Human Rights Declaration in order to protect everybody's (not just Italian citizens') human rights, and indeed the Italian police has acted as soon as they discovered what was going on: what would you want them to do more? Episodes like this take place everywhere in the world (do you remember the American couple that was jailed last month for keeping their housemaid in slavery?), the difference is whether or not the State and police work at crushing down these phenomena. And luckily, as this article shows, Italy does.

Harry, Oxford,

Oh those poor fish. Piranhas are skittish and timid fish. This must have terrified them.

Ken Hall, Barrow in Furness, UK

is it true that we offer Roma asylum from countries that we feel are fit to be in the EU? If this is just a rumour correct me. If we do, shouldnt these countries be expelled?

E Skelton, cardiff, wales

@olan, ft worth, texas.
No. What lifted man out of the dark ages was the Enlightenment, that is, science and reasoning.

There are so many posters from America on these boards nowadays. It makes one wonder about the state of the media in their own country. Is it really that bad?

Michael ANthony, Birmingham, UK

Paul from London is technically right- the pirhanas are very unlikely to hurt the woman - actually they sound much less dangerous than the Italian circus owners.... but the point is the slavery which is so sad and dispicable.

It is strange that many people must have seen the show and none of them reported it/saw anything amiss...? Makes you wonder how many other people are being held as slaves under our noses in Europe...

A Smith ( Fish Biologist), London, UK

Hi guys,

I am not really sure if the Bulgarians were illegal immigrants in Italy because Bulgaria is a state of the EU!
I am bulgarian and know those work and travel agencies that hire young people interested to meet another cultures and travel across the world. The promisses are really big but sometimes it appears to be a lie. Everyone who forces humans to be slaves should be convicted. Unfortunately I've heard many such stories lately.Unfortunately a lot of them happened in Italy. But why?

Ivailo, Essen, Germany

This is outrageous!!

Andrew, Birmingham, UK