Benevento– An unprovoked attack ruined the evening of a concert in the square. Last night, during rapper Luche's performance in Piazza Cardinale Pacca, a 19-year-old local man was reported by the police for assault after physically attacking a young couple without provocation.
According to the officers' reconstruction, the two teenagers, trapped in the crowd, were trying to get away to get some air. It was at this point that they found themselves in the path of the 19-year-old, who, for trivial reasons, first verbally abused them. Ignoring his provocations, the couple continued on, trying to defuse the tension.
The attacker, however, didn't give up. He approached them, continuing to swear at them, until the verbal altercation escalated into physical violence. With a sudden movement, the 19-year-old punched the girl in the face, hitting her full in the face. He slapped her partner, who likely attempted to intervene.
Public order officers were already on site to monitor the demonstration. Their intervention, described as timely, was crucial in preventing the situation from escalating further and in identifying and apprehending the attacker.
The young woman who was attacked was taken to the emergency room for treatment. Doctors diagnosed her with injuries—bruises and grazes—that were expected to heal in ten days. Her partner, while not seriously injured, suffered trauma from the attack.
The 19-year-old, already known to law enforcement, was then taken to the police station and charged with assault. The incident casts a shadow over an evening of music, highlighting how the presence of law enforcement at major events is often the only deterrent to gratuitous and unpredictable violence.
The assault incident is truly appalling and makes one reflect on how one behaves at a concert. I don't understand why some people can't control their emotions and react violently for no reason.