A tourist was raped after being abducted by a gang of migrants in a popular European city. Police have confirmed that five suspects, ranging from 29 to 43-years-old, have been charged following the violent attack which lasted for 72 hours.
The victim, a 32-year-old woman from Colombia, was approached by a man outside a restaurant in Rome, Italy, on Tuesday, May 19. He convinced her to follow him so he could sell her hashish, a cannabis product, before they reached a van. The woman was then driven to an abandoned building on the eastern outskirts of the city before being held captive for three days. She was raped several times by five men who also drugged her and threatened to kill her.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the woman managed to escape the property before being found on a pavement by a driver passing by. She was lying half-naked before being driven to a nearby hospital.
An urgent police investigation was launched and officers raided the building where the attack took place. It has been confirmed that five men have been arrested, identified as Saidykhan Lamin and Karamba Kanteh, two Gambian men aged 29 and 38; Harouna Traore, a 43-year-old Malian; and Isibor Wisdom and Paul Nwabueze, two Nigerians aged 29 and 39.
The men were charged with gang rape, aggravated by taking advantage of the victim vulnerability. They remain in police custody.
During the raid of the property in Via Tallone, officers also identified 22 non-EU citizens with illegal immigration status. The force said 11 of them were taken to pre-removal detention centres.
Meanwhile, detectives are continuing to search for three other suspects involved in the attack. They include the man who lured the victim from the restaurant, the person who drove her to the building and the owners of the abandoned property.
