Naples – Yet another episode of predatory violence on the streets of Naples could have turned tragic. A 14-year-old boy (RC, with no criminal record and a local resident) is now hospitalized with a guarded prognosis at the CTO hospital, the victim of a brutal attack triggered by a trivial reason: his refusal to hand over his smartphone.
The criminal inflicted four stab wounds, and he didn't hesitate to attack a minor just to get his hands on the loot.
The ambush after school
It all happened the afternoon before yesterday, around 16:00 PM, in the heart of the Berlingieri district. The 14-year-old had just left his school on Via Miano and was walking to the neighborhood park to meet some friends.
Upon reaching Via dello Stelvio, the nightmare materialized: a lone man, his face completely obscured by a dark balaclava, blocked his path. The bandit pulled out a knife and, threatening him, demanded that he hand over the device the young man was holding, an expensive iPhone 16.
The desperate escape and the blood
Faced with the gun, the fourteen-year-old displayed instinctive but dangerous courage. Instead of giving up his phone, he turned and ran away, heading toward a group of passersby in the hope of finding shelter and safety. His run, however, was short-lived.
The robber chased him, catching him before he could call for help. A struggle ensued, in which the attacker struck the victim four times: two to the young victim's left chest, and two more to his left leg. Then, leaving the boy bleeding on the pavement, the attacker fled into thin air.
The rush to the hospital and the investigations
Despite his injuries and the terror, the 14-year-old remained lucid. He grabbed the cell phone he'd just defended with blood and called his eighteen-year-old brother. The latter rushed to the scene on a scooter, picking up his injured brother and launching a desperate dash to the CTO emergency room.
Doctors admitted the boy with a red code: fortunately, the blades did not penetrate deeply. After suturing the wounds, paramedics admitted him to the hospital. The prognosis remains guarded, as is standard practice, but the fourteen-year-old's life is not in danger.
Officers from the Secondigliano police station and the General Prevention Office of the Police Headquarters are currently investigating the case, having collected the minor's clear and credible testimony. Unfortunately, on-site investigations did not provide any immediate clues, and the investigation looks set to be an uphill battle: the entire area where the attack occurred is devoid of video surveillance cameras. The hunt for the phantom robber is on.
What a terrible episode! We hope the boy makes it, but the whole thing is truly worrying and senseless. The police should find the culprit, but it seems there are no cameras and the investigation is difficult. Going to school after school now seems less safe for all children.