In Catania, Sicily, seven teenage migrants from Egypt allegedly took turns raping a 13-year-old girl in front of her boyfriend.
The attackers threatened and assaulted the couple, with some holding down the victims while others carried out the assault. Despite the victims' cries for help, bystanders did not intervene.
According to Ultimate NewsWire, the police quickly identified the attackers using surveillance footage and descriptions provided by the victims.
"I want to express my solidarity with her and her family. The state will be there and justice will be done," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.
This situation is not an isolated case, as there have been previous reports of similar instances where foreign minor migrants have committed sexual violence against native Italians, reported the news outlet.
"Don't come and talk to me about 'tolerance' or 'error.' In the face of horrors of this kind, there can be no clemency but only one cure: chemical castration. I'm counting on the proposal presented by the League to be voted on as soon as possible," Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said.
"We remain firm in the idea that chemical castration is needed for rapists and pedophiles, life imprisonment for similar episodes, as well as greater security in our cities. For the foreigners repatriated immediately!" Italian MEP Annalisa Tardino said.
"In Egypt, they would never have allowed such behavior. The safety of our children must be a priority throughout Italy."
The Daily News further disclosed that the sexual assault took place in the Villa Bellini park at around 7.30 pm on January 30 while the teen was on a walk with her 17-year-old boyfriend.
A group of young Egyptian men, aged 15 to 19, allegedly forced the couple into a public restroom. Some of the individuals held the boyfriend back, while two others stand accused of gang-raping the girl.
How Did The Attackers Enter The Country?
Reportedly, the seven male suspects, including three who are still minors, entered Italy illegally between November 2021 and March 2023, posing as 'unaccompanied minors,' as per information from La Repubblica.
The rape went on for 30 grueling minutes until the couple could finally break free and escape. They immediately alerted the Carabinieri, who caught the group within 24 hours.
DNA evidence successfully linked one of the three minors to the rape, the prosecutor confirmed.
Italy's Deputy Prime Minister is demanding chemical castration for the attackers.
