Four charged over rape of two British girls in Italy

POLICE in Italy have arrested four men for the alleged drugging and gang rape of two British teenage girls at a party in the far south of the country.

Investigators said they believed up to eight men were involved in the attack and they were searching for the other four.

The 15-year-old girls were allegedly

drugged and raped by several men at the party in the seaside village of Marconia di Pisticci in the southern region of Basilicata.

The four arrested men, aged 19-23, are from the area. They have been charged with rape and aggravated injury.

The alleged rape took place in the early hours of Tuesday in the garden of the villa in which the party was being

held. The two young women suffered cuts and bruises during the sexual assault. “The girls tried to defend themselves and one of them bit one of the attackers on an intimate part,” said Pietro Argentino, a prosecutor.

One of the girls is believed to be a British citizen of Italian origin, who has relatives in the area. The other girl was a friend who was on holiday with her.

After the alleged rape, the distraught

girls recounted what had happened to the older sister of one of them.

“They went back to the party, found the sister, locked themselves in the bathroom and told her everything,” said Mr Argentino.

The teenagers were taken to Madonna delle Grazie hospital in the nearby town of Matera, where doctors called the police. They were treated for their injuries and for shock.