As of: February 4, 2024, 3:05 p.m
By: Julian Mayr
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A group of seven raped a 13-year-old girl in a busy park in Catania (Sicily).
Her friend witnesses the terrible act.
Catania - An evening walk turned into a nightmare for a young couple in Italy on Tuesday (January 30).
Seven people, including three minors, are said to have raped the defenseless girl in a public toilet, as numerous Italian media reported.
In front of her boyfriend, who was being held by some of those involved.
In the popular Villa Bellini park, in the center of the Sicilian city of Catania, the 13-year-old and her 17-year-old friend were surrounded by a group of teenagers and young men around 7:30 p.m.
Girl (13) is a victim of gang rape in Catania (Italy)
“First they started touching me, I told them to leave me alone.
My friend also told them, I don't know how many times.
Then we tried to run away, but they held us,” the 13-year-old victim is said to
have told the Carabinieri of Catania just a few hours after the crime, according to the daily
La Repubblica .
She and her boyfriend were in the public toilet area of the Giardino Bellini, in the immediate vicinity of a playground, when seven people pushed them into the toilet facility, reports
La Repubblica
.
At this time of day the park is usually well attended, especially by families with children, according to the Corriere della Sera.
There was also an increased police presence in the zone due to religious celebrations.
But no one noticed the incident.
A brutal gang rape took place at the Giardino Bellini in Catania on January 30th.
© pond5/IMAGO
In front of her boyfriend: 13-year-old is raped in a public toilet
Inside the toilets, two of the perpetrators then restrained the girl while others kept her boyfriend at bay.
She told investigators how she and her boyfriend tried to free themselves from the aggressors.
“I’m begging you, don’t hurt me,” the 13-year-old is said to have shouted.
Without success.
Two minors ultimately raped the victim while the other five watched.
“They also forced my friend to watch.
“He was screaming, he was desperate,” the girl described to the police in tears, according to
La Repubblica
.
According to
Corriere della Sera,
the rape lasted around half an hour.
In panic and in pain, the young person then found the strength to escape from the perpetrators, writes the daily newspaper
Il Giornale
.
Together with her boyfriend, she finally reached passers-by on a nearby street who notified the emergency services.
The 13-year-old was taken to Cannizzaro hospital with injuries.
Suspects already arrested by Carabinieri in Sicily
Despite the traumatic experience, the couple was able to provide investigators with important evidence that same evening, which led to the suspects within a few hours.
Video recordings and DNA analysis of the victim's clothing confirmed the involvement of a suspect, who then cooperated with investigators.
Eventually everyone involved was arrested by the carabinieri.
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All of the suspects apprehended were Egyptian citizens who, according to
Corriere della Sera,
entered Italy illegally as minors some time ago.
They are now accused of sexual violence in the group, writes
La Repubblica
.
“The state is there and will ensure that justice is served,” promised Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
It was only in September 2023 that a gang rape occurred in the southern Italian town of Caivano, north of Naples.
The case of a girl who was raped and then killed in a children's home in Bavaria also recently caused a stir.