An eighth-month pregnant woman was beaten and robbed by a group of men inside Rome's Termini metro station. The attack, which occurred on April 4th, was filmed by passersby on their smartphones, and the video, "Welcome to Favelas," went viral on social media.
According to the investigation, the woman, Maria Secic, was climbing the escalator when she was approached by three men who accused her of not earning enough from the pickpocketing she was forced to perform for them. The men then brutally attacked her, beating her with kicks and punches, despite her pleas for mercy and her advanced pregnancy.
Following the attack, Secic was rushed to the hospital where she gave birth prematurely. Fortunately, the baby is in good health. The woman, however, suffered several fractures, including some maxillofacial ones, for which she will require surgery.
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Thanks to the viral video and the woman's testimony, State Police officers were able to identify three of the attackers. The three men, all residents of the Castel Romano Roma camp, are already known to law enforcement for their involvement in pickpocketing and robberies.
The Maria Secic incident once again raises the issue of pickpocketing rackets run by Roma men who exploit women, often minors, for their illicit activities. Women, in fact, are less likely to go unnoticed than men and, if arrested, are less likely to end up in prison.
Law enforcement is now trying to identify and arrest the remaining members of the group that attacked Secic. The attack was described as "cowardly and unheard of" by Rome's police commissioner, who promised maximum effort to bring those responsible to justice.
Risk of retaliation for women
Despite law enforcement protection, there is a risk that Maria Secic may be approached and threatened by her attackers or their family members to force her to recant her testimony.
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