A video appears to be documenting the rape of a 22-year-old woman by a 32-year-old Ghanaian man arrested today in Vicolo Bertolinis in Sassari. The man apparently recorded it, perhaps as a warning to others.
This is the latest development in the affair that led to the Carabinieri arresting the non-EU citizen at 11:30 a.m. today, accused of kidnapping for extortion, torture, and assault against the woman from Sassari.
The military intervened in the man's apartment after a report from neighbors, who had heard the young woman's screams and the commotion coming from the ground-floor apartment in the alleyway a few meters from Piazza Azuni.
Law enforcement officers found the girl in critical condition: a black eye and a swollen face. They allegedly used a taser to subdue the African man.
The torture allegedly continued for several hours, perhaps an entire day, inflicted on the 22-year-old, described as very small and unable to defend herself. The open shutters revealed a room on the ground floor, completely in disarray, with the mattress base upside down and clothes and household items scattered everywhere.
The Carabinieri investigated this scenario at length this afternoon, also taking the girl's personal belongings. It's currently unclear what prompted the Ghanaian, who has a significant criminal record, to commit the violence, and whether it was perhaps a "punishment" for an unpaid debt. This possibility appears to be confirmed by the recorded footage, almost as a warning.
The victim's body has certainly suffered serious consequences. She was taken to the hospital for checks, but her life is not in danger.
Several witnesses reported that the young woman often frequented the area, where she appeared unkempt.
