A 32-year-old Colombian woman was abducted and subjected to 72 hours of violent gang rape by five illegal migrants in Rome. The victim had arrived in the Italian capital on May 9 and went for dinner alone near Termini Station ten days later.
Abduction and Captivity
Outside the restaurant, a man approached the tourist and convinced her to follow him to purchase hashish. After walking for about half an hour, they reached a van where another man abducted her. She was driven to an abandoned building on Via Cesare Tallone in Tor Cervara, on the eastern outskirts of Rome, occupied by at least 22 illegal migrants.
The victim was held captive for 72 hours, during which she was drugged, threatened with death, and repeatedly gang-raped by five men. She was also robbed of her mobile phone and wallet.
Escape and Rescue
After managing to escape, an Italian driver found the woman lying half-naked on the pavement on Via di Tor Cervara. He drove her to Casilino Hospital, where she entered a specialist programme for victims of violence. Doctors immediately recognized injuries consistent with sexual assault and called the police. They also confirmed she had been drugged.
Investigation and Arrests
Italy's Flying Squad Section IV launched an urgent investigation and, within days, reconstructed the events and caught the perpetrators. A raid on the building was conducted with officers from the Prenestino district, Forensic Police, and the Immigration Office.
The five arrested are: Saidykhan Lamin (29) and Karamba Kanteh (38), both Gambian; Harouna Traore (43), Malian; and Isibor Wisdom (29) and Paul Nwabueze (39), both Nigerian. They were charged with gang rape, aggravated by taking advantage of the victim's defencelessness. The arrests were confirmed after initial police custody.
Further Investigations
The Flying Squad is also investigating at least three other individuals: the man who lured the victim from the restaurant, the person who transported her, and the owners of the shack. During the raid, 22 non-EU citizens with illegal immigration status were identified. Eleven were issued expulsion orders and taken to detention centres. Among them, five were identified by the victim as the perpetrators.
