Questioning Mr Barner, Italian centre right MEP Erminia Mazzoni said that using braille from an early age helped blind or visually impaired people with their educational development.

BBC: Access to books for blind people

"It's an atrocious act of terrorism, against which the Italian government expresses its firmest condemnation, and which has no explanation, if not that of barbarous and blind violence, " a statement from Italy's foreign ministry read.

NPR: Italy Says 7 Foreign Hostages Killed In Nigeria