The alleged gang rape of a 13-year-old girl in front of her boyfriend in a public park in the Sicilian city of Catania has rocked Italy. This new attack adds to the string of shocking sexual attacks in the country.
The case brings back the memories of two alleged gang rapes that happened last summer. As per a CNN report, a group of seven men and teenage boys between the ages of 15 and 18 are on trial for the alleged rape of a 19-year-old girl in Palermo in August.
A couple of weeks later, nine young men were arrested for allegedly raping two cousins (10,12) near Naples. What made the case worse was that they broadcast the attack live on social media. They are currently on trial.
The recent purported gang rape incident in Catania has evolved beyond a mere instance of violence against women in the nation; it has emerged as a rallying point for Italy’s far-right administration. According to CNN, the seven individuals implicated in the crime are Egyptian migrants, with three of them being minors under the age of 18, as confirmed by Catania law enforcement.
In September 2022, Giorgia Meloni assumed office as Italy’s prime minister, riding on an anti-immigration agenda. Despite her endeavors to stem irregular migration into the nation, her attempts have yet to yield success.
As per reports, the accused in the latest Sicilian case reached the shores of Italy via boat in 2021 and 2022 as unaccompanied minors, Catania police confirmed. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on X that they should not have been allowed to stay.
Meanwhile, Meloni expressed her solidarity with the alleged rape victim and her family.
“The state will be there, and the state will guarantee that justice will be done,” she said.
How the cases are being handled has come under scrutiny.
The accused men’s lawyers told CNN that they have been granted fast-track trials, which means that the trial will be held behind closed doors and sealed.
Alessandro Fidone, the court-appointed lawyer representing two of the suspects told CNN that the Egyptian suspects’ lawyers have not entered a plea deal, but the prosecutor has already filed additional charges.
“Those who were now over the age of 18, and therefore not categorized as unaccompanied minors, no longer had the right to stay in the country because Egyptians do not qualify for asylum in Italy,” CNN reported.
The Italian Ministry of the Interior has requested a comprehensive examination of all facilities accommodating unaccompanied minors to ascertain the presence of similar occurrences.
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