Naples – Kicks, punches, and a hand grip on the neck. A brutal attack, committed within the confines of her home, by the boyfriend of her underage daughter. This is what happened to Anna Chiara Vitiello, a Neapolitan woman from Chiaiano, who was savagely beaten by an eighteen-year-old Venezuelan, the boyfriend of her daughter, with whom she has a seven-month-old baby.
The wounds on the victim's body and face, reduced to a mask of bruises, are a tangible sign of the violence that could have turned into tragedy.
The tragic incident occurred on July 23rd in the family's home on Via Nuova Toscanella. But the fear for Anna Chiara and her loved ones didn't end with her hospitalization: to escape their attacker, the woman, her daughters, and her grandson were forced to leave their home and seek refuge in another part of the city, where they now live in precarious conditions and fear.
The one who publicly denounced the affair was the member of the Green-Left Alliance Francesco Emilio Borrelli, who received a message for help from the victim's husband. He also posted shocking images of Anna Chiara's swollen face on his social media channels, sparking outrage and calls for justice.
"I'm personally following the developments," Borrelli said. "We absolutely must protect this family and ensure the safety of the victims, not leave them alone."
“He hit me in the face and squeezed my neck. I'm alive thanks to my daughter.”
Anna Chiara herself recounts the details of that evening, her voice still broken by fear. "It was around eight o'clock," she explains, "when I heard screaming from my daughter's room. I went in to see what was happening, and he jumped on me. He hit me several times, then grabbed me by the neck. I was on the floor, dazed, and on the verge of fainting. Only my daughter's intervention, who threw herself on him to stop him, saved me."
After the attack, the woman fled by car with her daughters and grandson, heading to San Paolo Hospital. Doctors there found a craniofacial trauma, bruises, and abrasions on her arms. Discharged after a night in the emergency room, the woman then filed a complaint with the police. Authorities activated a "red code" system, which provides an emergency lane for domestic violence cases.
But for Anna Chiara and her family, the fear remains. "We can't go home," she says. "He lives nearby. We're the victims, yet we're forced to run and hide. It's absurd."
An open wound for the city
The case has reignited the debate on the safety of victims of violence and the need for concrete protection, especially in vulnerable family contexts. Anna Chiara's story is not just a news story, but a symbol of a flaw in the protection system, which often forces victims of violence to flee and live in the shadows, while the perpetrators remain free just steps away.
Meanwhile, investigations continue to determine the circumstances of the incident and the possible criminal liability of the young attacker, who had just turned 18. The community and institutions are called upon to provide immediate responses, so that fear is not the victims' sole daily companion.
This episode is deeply troubling and highlights the vulnerability of women in situations of violence. It's important that authorities take these situations seriously and that victims be adequately protected, as well as more resources to help them.