As of: February 6, 2024, 11:02 a.m
By: Moritz Bletzinger, Julian Mayr
Comments
Press
Split
A group of seven raped a 13-year-old girl in a busy park in Catania (Sicily).
Her friend witnesses the terrible act.
Update from February 6th, 10:55 a.m.:
After the horrific gang rape in a public toilet in Catania, four young men are now in prison.
Three of them are minors, one turned 18 on Monday (February 5).
Another who helped identify the attackers is under house arrest.
This is reported by the news channel
Rai
.
A total of seven young men are said to have attacked a couple in a park on January 30th and dragged them into a toilet facility.
According to reports, some of the group held the 17-year-old boy while the others raped his 13-year-old girlfriend.
The girl is in shock but is determined to demand “justice”.
To
Rai
she said: "I only saw three of them: two raped me, the other watched, but my friend saw them all."
Protests after gang rape in Catania: “You receive our hug, sister”
The case caused great sympathy and outrage on the Italian island.
On Wednesday a sit-in took place in front of the prefecture of Catania.
The majority were women who demanded to be received by the prefect “to express their great concern for the security of the city.”
A brutal gang rape took place at the Giardino Bellini in Catania on January 30th.
© pond5/IMAGO
In a statement, several women's rights groups also addressed the victim of the gang rape directly.
They write: “You receive our embrace, sister.
You receive our solidarity and our anger.
We won't leave you alone.
We will not abandon you and the women of our city to the culture of rape and violence against our bodies.”
Incident on Italian holiday island: Girl raped in front of her boyfriend
First report from February 4th, 3:05 p.m.:
Catania – An evening walk turned into a nightmare for a young couple in Italy on Tuesday (January 30th).
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 .
My news
Italy: 22 degrees in South Tyrol, bathing weather in Sicily - and blooming mimosas as a bad omen
450 km/h fast: New super train could travel from Hamburg to Munich in under 2 hoursread
2 hours ago
28 years of unpaid overtime: Baker files lawsuit against employer
“Would turn around immediately”: Café wants to get rid of guests after 20 minutesread
Huge crack causes the steepest ski slope in the Alps to collapse - read “Never seen before in 30 years”.
“It's a monster, dude!”: Anglers pull 500-pound behemoth from the sea
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.
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.
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.