Four arrested after sexual assault of two British teens in Italy

Two 15-year-old British girls were attacked between the evening of Sunday, September 6 and the morning of Monday, September 7. The girls had been attending a party in Basilicata, Italy when they were taken to a secluded area by two men. Six more men joined them and the girls were sexually assaulted. They managed to fight off the assailants and run from the area. Police was alerted and a group of men were arrested. Four of the men who were initially arrested have been charged.

The minors were attending a house party at a villa in Marconia di Pisticci. The girls from York, United Kingdom had been staying with one of the girls' relative. Between midnight and 1:30 am local time the girls were reportedly inebriated when they were approached by two men. Six others arrived and dragged them off into the bushes on the property.

The eight men proceeded to sexually assault the girls for around 15 minutes. The girls claim that they tried to fight off the attackers even biting one of the men's penis. Eventually, the girls managed to flee from the scene and find help. They contacted the police at around 3:30 am local time and an investigation was immediately launched.

Matera Police officers were swiftly able to identify some of the attackers with the help of surveillance footage from the villa. They were able to arrest 19-year-old Giuseppe Gargano, 21-year-old Alessandro Zuccaro, 22-year-old Alberto Lopatriello and 23-year-old Michele Masiello. The four men between the ages of 19 and 23 were charged with group sexual violence and aggravated personal injury. The men tried to claim that the sexual acts with the inebriated minors were consensual. The arrested men are all residents of Pisticci. They will remain in police custody until their trial at Court of Matera, Sassilive reported. If found guilty, they may be sentenced to up to 15-years in prison.

Three other suspects were also brought in for questioning. They were released on bail after but they continue to be investigated.

The two girls sustained injuries during the attack. They were taken to Madonna delle Grazie hospital in Matera where they underwent treatment for their injuries.

The investigation into the incident continues.