The 31-year-old Algerian man, arrested last night after raiding a restaurant in the heart of Olbia, is charged with kidnapping . The charge concerns the young man's conduct during the initial stages of the attack on the restaurant owner's wife.
The man restrained the victim, threatening her with a knife held to her throat. The person arrested by the police and taken to prison is also charged with serious assault (injuring two restaurant employees and two customers), threats, resisting arrest, and possession of a knife. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday morning. The Algerian national is being represented by the lawyer Maurizio Mani. All the injured people are out of danger.
The State Police Union, SIULP, issued a statement regarding last night's incident. Secretary Massimiliano Pala called for the Gallura city's security forces to be adjusted: "Olbia is no longer the city it was a few decades ago. It is an urban, economic, and tourist hub of primary importance for the entire Sardinia. It is one of the main access points to the island, home to an international airport and a strategically important port. Furthermore, during the summer months, the number of people in the area increases significantly, resulting in increased demands for public order and safety. This growth of the city and the increased complexity of the territory must necessarily be matched by an adjustment in the State Police's staffing."
"It's unthinkable that an organization with these characteristics," he continues, "can continue to rely on a system that isn't adequately sized to meet the daily and extraordinary demands it faces. The problem, in fact, isn't just the ability to intervene once a crime has already been committed. Security means prevention, territorial control, investigative activity, intelligence gathering, a visible presence on the streets, combating crime, managing public order, emergency response, and administrative and judicial activity."
"The SIULP therefore believes that a concrete and significant strengthening of the staffing of the Olbia Public Safety Commissioner's Office can no longer be postponed, as this is an essential requirement to ensure an adequate level of police presence and protection in the area."