Racale, Italy: 16-year-old hits father with hammer as he sleeps, man in intensive care

What happened

The attack took place during the night of 13 to 14 November 2026 inside the family home in Racale, a town in the Salento area of Puglia. The 53-year-old father was asleep in the bedroom he shared with his wife when his 16-year-old son struck him on the head with a hammer. According to Il Messaggero, the boy entered the room around 2.30 a.m. with the hammer, which reports say was found in the house. AGI reports that the blows were repeated. The reasons for the attack have not been established, and several reports describe the motive as trivial without identifying what prompted it.

The father's condition

Carabinieri and the 118 emergency service moved the father to the Vito Fazzi hospital in Lecce as a red-code case, the highest priority category for urgent treatment. He is being treated in the intensive care unit under a guarded prognosis, meaning doctors have not yet given a firm outlook. Reports describe his condition as very serious. His wife woke after hearing screams and was the one who raised the alarm with emergency services, which allowed rescuers to reach the house quickly.

The teenager and his family

The 16-year-old was taken to the hospital in Scorrano for a psychiatric consultation. ANSA describes him as having a psychic disability, and Fanpage reports that according to early information his psychiatric problems were known to his parents and that he was being followed by specialists. These accounts come from early reporting and have not been confirmed by investigators. Neither the reports nor the police describe the boy's current condition in detail.

The investigation

Carabinieri from the Racale station, working with the operational section and the Casarano company, are carrying out checks at the house. The juvenile judicial authority has been informed, and Fanpage reports that the inquiry is being directed by the juvenile prosecutor's office. AGI notes that the sequence of events and the reasons for the act remain unclear. The reports do not describe any charges or other formal steps so far.