Student beaten by two adults and ten minors in Bari park after trying to use public restroom
A 26-year-old philosophy student, Giuditta, was kicked by a group of two adults and about ten children aged 8 to 14 in Parco Rossani, Bari. The city says it will join the prosecution as a civil party.
The attack
On Thursday afternoon, July 23, a 26-year-old philosophy student named Giuditta was assaulted near the public restrooms in Parco Rossani, a large park in Bari. She later posted a video on social media, her face swollen and in tears, describing the event. According to her account, she approached the facilities when she was surrounded and thrown to the ground by two adults.
I was in Parco Rossani, I wanted to use the public bathroom and I was encircled and thrown to the ground by two adults. I was beaten with kicks to the face by ten kids between 8 and 14 years old, together with the two adults, parents of one of them.
About ten minors, some as young as eight, joined the beating. No bystanders intervened, and Giuditta, lying face down and bleeding heavily, had to call the 118 emergency number herself while a crowd watched.
Injuries and aftermath
She was taken by ambulance to the Policlinico di Bari, where doctors diagnosed a displaced fracture of the nasal septum and an orbital wall fracture. The hospital discharged her later the same day. The initial medical report gave a prognosis of 40 days; some outlets cited a 30-day prognosis. Giuditta said her nose is completely fractured and cannot be operated on. The damage is both physical and moral, she stressed.
Investigation and suspects
The local police (polizia locale) have already identified the alleged attackers. One of the adults is reported to be an employee of the cleaning and custodial service for the public restroom, which is managed by an external company under contract with the municipality. The other adult and the minors are believed to be part of a family group. The investigation is ongoing.
Political reaction
Mayor Vito Leccese expressed deep indignation, calling the attack an "indegno" episode that cannot be justified. He said:
It is an unworthy episode that can find no justification. I have immediately asked my offices to reconstruct precisely what happened and to verify every responsibility. If the reconstruction that has emerged is confirmed, we will demand immediate measures against those responsible for serious and unacceptable behaviour, which deserves to be censured not only on a disciplinary level but also, if the conditions exist, on a criminal level.
In the afternoon he met Giuditta, offering personal solidarity and the city's support. He announced that the municipal administration will follow the investigation and join the proceedings as a civil party.
- Giuditta is attacked by two adults and ten minors near public restrooms in Parco Rossani.
- She calls 118 herself; ambulance takes her to Policlinico di Bari; discharged hours later with facial fractures.
- Local police identify suspects, including a public restroom attendant. Mayor Vito Leccese meets the victim, pledges city will join civil action.
Security and city response
Leccese revealed that, following earlier complaints from citizens and the press, controls in the Parco Rossani area had already been reinforced in recent weeks. But he said the attack shows further steps are needed. He plans to step up surveillance and work with public-space managers on prevention and awareness campaigns. He also held a meeting with the local police to activate presences at public gathering spots. "Thinking that everything can be solved with the presence of law enforcement," he noted, "is not the path that leads to a future where the community can live serenely in its squares." The University of Bari, where Giuditta studies, expressed solidarity and condemned the culture of violence.
