The Moroccan men accused of sexually assaulting two Hungarian tourists in Sicily will remain in custody and must serve their full prison sentences if convicted, Italian Deputy Prosecutor Sebastiano Ardita told MTI in an exclusive interview.
The suspects — all illegal migrants without residence permits — have been held in Catania prison since the day of the alleged attack. Prosecutors have charged them with group sexual assault, a serious offense under Italian law.
“Sexual violence is treated as a priority by Italian authorities — including prosecutors and the courts,” Sebastiano Ardita said. “Given this, we could see a verdict in less than a year in the case of the assault on the Hungarian women.”
While exact trial dates remain uncertain, Ardita emphasized that his statement was based on professional experience.
The deputy prosecutor confirmed earlier police reports that the suspects are Moroccan nationals currently held in pretrial detention. He added that the judge ordered their arrest immediately after the formal charges were brought — without a preliminary hearing — and the victims were promptly interviewed by investigators.
In Ardita’s view, the accused men attempted to grope the upper bodies of the women through their clothing. Though no full sexual act occurred, under Italian law there is no distinction between “sexual assault” and “sexual violence” in such cases.
He noted that the fact the suspects are undocumented migrants constitutes an aggravating factor under Italian criminal law. The defendants may request an expedited trial procedure, Ardita said. If convicted, they must serve their sentences in Italy unless their home country guarantees the full execution of the sentence following extradition.
The incident, involving suspects aged 21, 22, and 24, first came to light in a September 5 article by the daily La Sicilia, though it reportedly occurred days earlier, likely in late August.
According to Italian media reports, the Hungarian tourists had accepted a ride from two of the suspects along Kennedy Avenue — a beachside road — who instead drove them to a remote location, where the third man joined them. The women were allegedly forced to consume cocaine and subjected to non-consensual sexual acts.
The case was cracked thanks to the quick action of one victim’s sister, who had reported the women missing and activated a phone tracking app. One of the victims had covertly managed to call her sister — pretending to phone their mother — and communicated both her peril and the vehicle’s license plate number.
Police located the victims on a nearby beach and apprehended the suspects shortly afterward as they traveled in the van, local authorities confirmed.
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Via MTI; Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
The post Moroccan Migrants to Remain in Custody in Sicily over Alleged Assault on Hungarian Tourists appeared first on Hungary Today.
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