Naples, elderly man attacked for saying “no” to window cleaner: 23-year-old arrested in via Vespucci

Naples– A simple gesture of denial turned into violence in the heart of the city traffic. A 78-year-old man was attacked in via Vespucci, on the corner of via Toscano, after refusing to have his windshield washed by a young window cleaner.

The episode, which led to the arrest of a 23-year-old of Ghanaian origin, rekindles attention on the increasingly invasive phenomenon of the presence of window cleaners at traffic lights in Naples, often perceived as a form of tolerated petty crime.

It all happened in a few seconds. The young man, armed with a brush, approached the cars stopped at the traffic lights after pressing the pedestrian reservation button, a practice used by some window cleaners to ensure they have a time slot to work.

The 78-year-old, stopped with his car in the front row, signaled that he was not interested and activated the windshield wipers in an attempt to dissuade the insistence.

But the boy did not give up. The old man lowered the window to verbally reiterate his refusal. The reaction was unexpected and brutal: the 23-year-old hit the man in the face with the hairbrush, causing injuries that were judged to heal in ten days.

The attack took place in front of several witnesses who immediately alerted the police. A patrol of the Nucleo Radiomobile intervened a few minutes later, arresting the young man despite a violent attempt at resistance. He is now in custody, awaiting trial for personal injury, private violence and resistance to a public official.

An out-of-control phenomenon?

The episode is not isolated and relaunches the debate on persistent and, in some cases, aggressive presence of windscreen washers near the busiest intersections in the city. For many drivers, they represent a constant source of discomfort and, at times, tension, especially when the refusal to provide service clashes with intimidating attitudes.

In recent years, reports from citizens have multiplied, as have requests for intervention to the authorities. However, managing the phenomenon remains complex, also due to the lack of a clear regulatory framework and the difficulties of controlling all city intersections in real time.

The case of Via Vespucci – a nerve centre for traffic between the centre and the port area – highlights the need for structural interventions, which are not limited to the repressive front alone, but also involve measures of inclusion and social control, aimed at preventing dynamics of urban degradation and social tension.

In the meantime, the assaulted driver has been treated and has filed a complaint. The young man arrested, however, will now have to answer for an act that once again puts the issue of urban road safety.