Elderly Kiwi ‘rammed and robbed’ while on Italy tour

Children want apology from tour company over his treatment

The family of an elderly New Zealand man say their father has had to fend for himself after allegedly being attacked and robbed while on a luxury seniors tour in Italy.

Now his children are calling for a formal apology and better processes from the tour company he travelled with — Operatunity Travel Tours, which offers international music travel tours for retirees.

Susan Johnson said her father, 86-year-old Michael Johnson from Wellington, was struck by a cyclist and then assaulted on April 30 while out for a walk in the northern Italian city of Bologna with the tour group he was travelling with.

“[He was] run over by a bike and robbed,” she said.

“My dad told me . . . the woman looked him in the eye and rammed him.”

He suffered a broken femur and damage to a recent hip replacement and has had surgery in only the last two or three days.

Despite his age, he is said to be very fit and continues to work as an engineer.

“My dad’s from a tough farming background, so he’s got a chance of survival. But many would’ve died from the shock. Initially, they didn’t operate for five days. He’s been in traction since the 30th of April.”

A police statement supplied by the family said Johnson was involved in a collision in Via Santa Stefano, a popular piazza (public square) in Bologna.

Susan said she was upset with the tour company, as the group — including two tour operators — left for New Zealand about two days after the incident, leaving her father alone in a foreign country.

She feels there should have been a duty of care from the tour company and that her father should have been safe while walking with the group.

The family also feels their father had been stranded in Italy and without access to money, after having his cards and cash stolen. All his belongings and luggage, including a laptop, had also been left at the hotel they were staying at.

Co-director of Operatunity, Susan Cameron, said she and her staff were “very distressed” about the incident, saying the company was committed to providing high-quality travel experiences for seniors.

The company disputes the idea that Johnson had been deliberately attacked, however, saying the group was on a scheduled, afternoon walking tour of Bologna with a local guide and staff members when the man was hit by a cyclist weaving through the crowd in a public square.

“We immediately assisted our customer, called an ambulance, contacted police and his family and ensured a staff member accompanied him to hospital.

“While in hospital, we organised for one of our staff member’s relatives — a doctor, and an Italian speaker — to liaise with the hospital, provide support, give us and his family updates and visit the man regularly. This arrangement was made with his family’s agreement.”

The man’s daughter says that is not correct — that the family had not agreed to that arrangement and had expected an Operatunity staff member to stay in Italy, at least for a few days, after their father was admitted.

“One should’ve stayed with my father . . . to ensure he was calm. We hope he’ll be fine, but say he had a blood clot and died — he’s got no one there.’’

Operatunity’s website has a statement: “You will travel with likeminded New Zealanders, stress-free and with every care given for your wellbeing, safety and enjoyment.”

Michael Johnson is being supported by the NZ Embassy in Rome. A staff member told the family he was likely to be in hospital for up to 10 days.

Susan Johnson said her brother, based in the UK, is due to travel to Italy to be with their father. There are plans to transfer him home to New Zealand over the next few weeks.