Benevento – "I'm in charge here, you have to leave... I'll set you and your whole family on fire." These aren't the lines from a thriller, but the words shouted by a 24-year-old Benevento resident at a female condominium member, in a building in the historic center that had become a battleground for neighborly squabbles.
The Police Flying Squad executed an order from the investigating judge of the Benevento Court—at the request of the Sannio Prosecutor's Office—banning the young man from residing in the municipality. This forced exile stems from stalking, following months of threats, insults, and physical attacks that terrorized two women.
The incident, which emerged from a report on August 30, comes against an alarming backdrop: in Italy, requests for help for stalking increased by 32,5% in 2024 compared to the previous year, with over 3 million women victims of psychological and physical violence, according to ISTAT data.
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It all began with trivial condominium disputes—noise, parking, maintenance—that escalated into an obsession. The victim, a middle-aged woman living in the same building, told investigators of a "nightmarish" escalation: the 24-year-old, described as a young, unemployed man with a history of petty trouble, began with daily insults, then escalated to explicit threats.
"If you report me, I'll set your cars on fire and throw gasoline under your door," he shouts at her on one occasion, according to the complaint. What's more, in another furious argument, he kicks and punches the woman and a relative of hers who rushes to her defense, before reappearing armed with a katana—yes, a samurai sword—pointing it at the terrified pair: "I have to kill your whole family."
The latest affront, in September, was an incendiary ultimatum: "They must leave by this evening, otherwise I'll set them alight with gasoline under their front door." The Mobile Police investigation, coordinated by the prosecutor, gathered damning evidence: testimonies from frightened neighbors, footage from condominium security cameras, and wiretaps that paint a picture of "horizontal stalking"—violence between neighbors, often underestimated but devastating.
Comments (1)
Reading the article, it seems like the situation has become very serious between neighbors, but I don't understand how such extreme threats could arise. People should find a way to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence or intimidation.