Rome, February 24 – A 21-year-old English Erasmus student was the victim of an attempted rape at Villa Borghese last Monday evening. The student was walking on Viale Washington to return home when she was approached by an unknown assailant. She was punched in the face, dragged behind a bush, and nearly stripped before managing to escape and seek help.
Dramatic Moments and Swift Rescue
The incident occurred around 9:30 PM in a dimly lit part of Villa Borghese, a large public park in central Rome. The assailant, possibly of foreign origin with Asian features, ambushed the student, attempting to pull down her trousers while she screamed for help. According to initial reports, the attacker’s sole intention was sexual assault, as no robbery attempt was made.
The victim’s desperate cries attracted the attention of Fabio Moccia, a taxi driver, who immediately stopped and called the emergency number 112. Municipal police also arrived quickly at the scene. The student was then transported in red code to Umberto I Polyclinic, where the ‘pink code’ protocol for sexual violence victims was activated. She was later discharged with a few days’ prognosis and has filed a complaint with the Carabinieri.
Investigation Underway: Tracing the Assailant
Carabinieri from the Trionfale company and the Flaminia station, along with specialists from the VII Survey Section of the Via In Selci Investigative Unit, have launched a comprehensive investigation. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage from cameras both inside and outside Villa Borghese to reconstruct the victim’s movements and determine if she was followed by the attacker prior to the assault. Additionally, the clothes worn by the 21-year-old have been collected to recover any biological traces left by the assailant, and the taxi driver’s dash cam footage is also being examined.
Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the attacker may have deliberately chosen a poorly lit area of the park, or that he may have stalked the victim from Piazzale Flaminio.
Recurring Safety Concerns in Villa Borghese
This latest incident once again highlights ongoing safety concerns in Villa Borghese, which has been the scene of several similar crimes over the years. Previous incidents include the rape of a Polish homeless woman by Christi Popa, a 25-year-old Romanian, who was sentenced to ten years in prison for other sexual assaults, and attacks on two tourists, one Spanish and one American. Numerous other reports of assaults, harassment, and robberies targeting women in the park have also been recorded.
The incident has reignited public debate about the need for increased security measures and improved lighting in Rome’s public parks to ensure the safety of residents and visitors alike.
Source: https://roma.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_febbraio_24/tentato-stupro-a-villa-borghese-a-roma-studentessa-aggredita-da-uno-sconosciuto-alla-fermata-dell-autobus-55301ecf-48a9-4155-9ff0-d3580e535xlk.shtml
