Drunk, he falls asleep on a tram seat, then is sexually assaulted on the street by a stranger. The victim is a 17-year-old.
It happened in the early hours of Valentine's Day, as reported by Corriere Fiorentino, near the interchange parking lot, close to the terminus of the T2 tram line, on Viale Guidoni, on the outskirts of Florence. Thanks to the city's video surveillance cameras, the alleged attacker was identified by the police: a 32-year-old Moroccan man, who had been in Italy for three years and was already known to law enforcement with several criminal records and a conviction, was arrested on charges of sexual assault of a minor.
At the hearing to validate his arrest, represented by lawyer Valentina Bertini, he answered questions from investigating judge Gianluca Mancuso and apologized, claiming he had acted under the influence of alcohol, partially confirming the accusations contested by the prosecutor. On the evening of February 13th, the 17-year-old, after work, met up with friends, went clubbing, toasted, and danced until late. Then the group broke up, and shortly before 5:00 a.m., the boy boarded the tram to return home. Tired and groggy from the alcohol, he rested his head against the window and fell asleep. From then on, every step was reconstructed from surveillance footage. The tram was proceeding toward the terminus when the 32-year-old boarded.
He observes the boy, who is almost unconscious and unresponsive, and picks him up, and they get off at the park-and-ride stop, just before the airport. The man supports the boy and heads toward the overpass where he has a makeshift bed. That's where the assault allegedly began. The boy suddenly wakes up, screams, pushes him away, and manages to escape, calling for help from the manager of a gas station. Then a complaint is filed for sexual assault. The alleged perpetrator is found in the bed under the overpass.
(Unioneonline)
