21-year-old German Erasmus student reports sexual assault by two men in Milan
Two men allegedly attacked the woman in the early hours of Thursday, 15 October, on via Giacosa near Parco Trotter, and two passersby called emergency services. Carabinieri are investigating, and according to AGI she had not yet been heard by them.
What happened
A 21-year-old German woman studying in Milan through the Erasmus programme says she was attacked in the early hours of Thursday, 15 October, by two men who dragged her to a secluded spot. Reports place the assault on via Giacosa near Parco Trotter, in the area of via Padova. The reported times differ: ANSA gives about 4:45 a.m., Fanpage shortly after 4:30 a.m. and AGI shortly before 5 a.m. After the attack she asked two passersby for help, and they raised the alarm.
Rescue and medical care
The two passersby were Italian tourists who had just stopped a quarrel between two men on via Giacosa, according to La Stampa, and they called the emergency number 112. Fanpage reports that an ambulance was dispatched with a yellow priority code by Areu, the Lombardy emergency agency, together with carabinieri. ANSA and Fanpage say she was taken to the Mangiagalli clinic, which specialises in cases of this kind, while La Stampa reports that she first went to the emergency room at the Policlinico hospital and was then moved to the anti-violence centre at Mangiagalli. There, according to La Stampa, she was examined by specialists and spoke with psychological support staff.
Suspects and investigation
Carabinieri are investigating, and il Giornale reports that the public prosecutor's office is coordinating the inquiry. AGI and La Stampa report that the woman had not yet been heard by carabinieri and still had to file a formal complaint, so her account reached investigators through the two tourists. AGI reports that both men may be of North African origin and that they had encountered her in a bar before following her with their accomplice towards the student residence where she lives. Fanpage reports that one of the attackers wore a hood. Investigators are searching for camera footage in the area, and no suspects have been identified.
Earlier attack in central Milan
Fanpage also recalls a separate case on 12 October, when a 34-year-old woman with a mental disability was attacked in via della Spiga in central Milan. Fanpage describes it as an assault, rape and robbery, reporting that she was groped and kissed against her will and that her bag and personal belongings were taken. According to Fanpage, the attacker was detained and arrested shortly afterwards.