The young girl was walking with a school friend in a park when they were attacked by a gang of migrants.

Seven Egyptian migrants were arrested by Italian police in the Sicilian town of Catania, where young men raped a 13-year-old schoolgirl. The schoolgirl was walking with her boyfriend in a public park after school when the gang of young men appeared. Initially, they only insulted the Italian couple verbally, before one of the migrants physically attacked them.

The three men dragged the girl to a nearby toilet where they brutally raped her, while the rest of the gang pushed the victim’s boyfriend to the ground and beat him.

Outrage in Italy after 7 Egyptian migrants gang rape a 13-y-old girl in the city of Catania

The migrants attacked the girl in a park & dragged her into a public toilet

The case has started a national debate, with League leader Salvini calling for chemical castration for rapists pic.twitter.com/QfcMjvnHh3

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 4, 2024

The students escaped with the help of passers-by, and the police – using CCTV cameras as well as statements from witnesses and the victims – swiftly apprehended the migrants. As part of the ongoing investigation, forensic experts took a DNA sample from the victim to compare it with those of the assailants’. According to the authorities, many of the gang members rushed to their temporary accommodation and planned to flee the city quickly. In the meantime, authorities also learned that several of the attackers are still minors.

The horrific attack has sparked a national outcry and was commented on Saturday by several high-profile politicians, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. „I want to express my solidarity with the victim and her family. The state will be there and justice will be served,” Ms Meloni said.

Il mio intervento allo stabilimento 3Sun Gigafactory di Catania https://t.co/ujt1L2Dpnm

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) February 3, 2024