At the end of October, a 39-year-old Pakistani man was arrested on suspicion of sexual violence against a 14-year-old girl. According to recent reports, the public prosecutor’s office is also investigating two other cases against the man on similar charges.
The alleged offence took place in the Kaiserau district of Bolzano. The Pakistani is said to have first asked the girl for directions at a bus stop and then demanded physical contact. When she resisted, he allegedly grabbed her by the neck and used sexual violence. It was only through her resistance that the girl was able to escape and alert the police.
The 39-year-old man has also been charged in two other cases from Varese, Lombardy, in which similar allegations have been made. Two underage girls have accused him of serious sexual violence, with the offences alleged to have taken place in June of this year.
The Pakistani has lived in Italy for around 20 years and was initially employed in the catering industry in Varese and later in Verona. About a month ago, he moved to Bolzano, where he worked in a restaurant in the industrial zone and lived with a compatriot in the city centre. According to media reports, investigations are continuing in both Bolzano and Varese.
Following the alleged assault on the 14-year-old girl, a rally of solidarity was held in the Kaiserau district of Bolzano at the end of October, organised by the mayor. Over 250 people demonstrated together against the sexual assault. It is important to combat violence against women, declared City Councillor for Integration Chiara Rabini. The city now wants to ensure greater safety. However, it remains to be seen what this will look like in concrete terms.
