With just a couple of hours to go until the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, yet another tragedy nearly occurred in Naples' Stella neighborhood.
I police Police at the Naples Stella Station have arrested a 32-year-old man with no criminal record on charges of stalking and assaulting his ex-partner.
She is 33, he is 32. They are both foreigners but have lived permanently in Italy for years. Their relationship lasted only a few months, but it was long enough for a love story to turn into a nightmare of alcohol and violence.
Every time he gets drunk, he beats her. When she decides to end the unhealthy relationship, the man refuses to accept it: blinded by the idea of possession and alcohol abuse, he begins to stalk her.
Almost every evening, he shows up at her house, monitoring her, threatening her, making her life hell. Fear grows, along with the awareness that this "routine" of violence could escalate at any moment. That morning, the 33-year-old finds the courage to knock on the door of the Carabinieri station: she wants to break this unpredictable and terrifying spiral.
She was welcomed into the "room of her own" at the Napoli Stella Carabinieri Station, a simple environment designed to put victims of violence at ease. There, the woman recounted months of assault and terror. The officers listened, took the report, and immediately activated the "red code," the procedure that ensures a rapid response in cases of domestic violence and stalking.
The woman saved by a neighbor
A few hours pass, and the same scenario repeats itself. The man shows up at his ex's house, once again drunk. He grabs her, attacks her, and hits her. Her screams attract the attention of a neighbor, who intervenes, giving the woman the opportunity to escape. The 33-year-old runs to the police station, where moments earlier she had shared her fears, and calls the Carabinieri for help.
The officers immediately rescued her, while a patrol car from the station and a company patrol car rushed to the woman's home. Not far from the building, they spotted the 32-year-old, clearly intoxicated. He was stopped, identified, and arrested.
The man is now in prison. The victim sustained injuries to various parts of his body as a result of the beatings, but fortunately his condition is not serious. However, the deeper, invisible wound remains, which only time—and a safety net of institutions, law enforcement, and social support—can heal.
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Comments (1)
It's truly sad to see such violent situations even in a city like Naples. I hope the victims can find help and support to overcome these difficult times. Violence should never be tolerated.