Italian woman claims rose seller saved her from being gang-raped by 25 men

An Italian photographer claims she was rescued from being gang-raped by 25 men by an immigrant rose seller.

Gaia Guarnotta, 25, said she was walking alone at 11.30pm in the city of Florence when the group of men approached her near Piazza della Repubblica. She said the men were drunk and that they soon began surrounding her and telling her they would "show you a good time".

"I was walking alone on the street at 23.30. I like to walk, I love Florence and I love the night," she wrote in a Facebook post. She said she wanted to share her story to show there is still a need for feminism.

"Then the nightmare begins. They start to say phrases like, 'Come on with us, let's have fun, 25 against one, you will have a good night,'" she recalled. "They said, 'Let's have a ganging, you will enjoy it, so many all together, you have never seen this many. You are the one who is refusing us and our kind offer'."

Guarnotta, originally from Livorno, said that the men then began insulting her, calling her a "stupid b***h" and a "whore". As she attempted to get away, she alleges the men dragged her by the arm and took off her glasses, MailOnline reported.

The men also spat on her, she claimed.

Rose seller Hossein Alamgir reportedly heard the commotion and rushed to Guarnotta's aid. He chased the men away and took Guarnotta to a safe place, where he fed her. Alamgir also gave her towels so she could wash and presented her with a rose as a gift.

The 58-year-old rose seller, who hails from Bangladesh, has lived in Italy since 2005, the Express reported.

"Thank you to this world for there are people like Hossein, who help without wanting anything in return," Guarnotta said. "This is a face I will never forget."

According to MailOnline, it is unclear if Guarnotta contacted police to alert them of the incident.