Italy: Afghan Gang Stabs Group of Pakistani Boys in Trieste

The city of Trieste sits on the Adriatic in the northeast corner of Italy. It is one of my favorite Italian cities. When I was working for DEA in Milan in the 1980s, we made periodic liaison trips to Trieste to work with Italian anti-drug units. The city has a great mixture of Italian and Slovenian culture since it sits on the border with Slovenia.

But it seems now that the city is suffering from migrant delinquents like so many other Italian cities. In this latest episode, a group of about 15 Afghani youths, cornered a group of Pakistani teenage boys in the area of the Molo Audace pier in downtown Trieste. They reportedly solicited the Pakistani boys for sexual favors and money. When the victims refused, they were set upon by the Afghanis and stabbed. They have all survived and the search is on for the Afghani suspects who are still unidentified.

Here is an article in Ansa (It) describing what occurred. It is translated by Fousesquawk.

Gang injures some boys for refusing (to give) sexual favors

Among those stabbed also a minor

August 5, 2024 at 11:51

A gang of about 15 persons, Afghan migrants, last night injured young Pakistani immigrants-including one minor- who refused to offer their sexual favors.

The latter subjects were stabbed in various parts of the body and one of them has very serious injuries; all of them are being treated at the Cattinara hospital. 

According to what has been learned, at Molo Audace* in the city center, the gang approached the 4 Pakistanis asking for sexual favors and money. When it was refused, the attack broke out.

One of the wounded managed to get to the Questura (police station), where he was aided by some officers.

The attack happened in the zone of Molo Audace, a gathering place, especially in the summer for people who live in the city but also for many immigrants.

According to a reconstruction, based on the report of the victims, the (attack) broke out around 10 pm. The alarm was given by a patrol of the Flying Squad (mobile unit) that intervened in the vicinity of the Questura because a Pakistani citizen, just turned (18), reported that he had been stabbed in the back because shortly before, he had refused to provide a sexual favor.

The victim, shortly after giving his version of what happened, lost consciousness due to the deep wound he had suffered and was urgently taken by ambulance to Cattinara.

Within the space of a few minutes, however, three other victims of attack showed up independently at the same hospital, all of Pakistani nationality. They were a 19-year-old boy, who had reported deep stab wounds and who was received in code red, a 16-year-old adolescent with obvious injuries to his face, and another 19-year-old youth with minor injuries.

The trio was brought to emergency services in a car (driven) by an uninjured co-national who confirmed the version of the attack. 

The investigations are being conducted by the Flying Squad, who, given the gravity of the episode, is in constant contact with the top leaders of the Questura and the Prefecture. At the site of the attack, at Molo Audace, there are no surveillance cameras, nor are there individual witnesses. However, the zone does have a system of video surveillance, which hopefully will enable (police) to reconstruct what happened and trace the identities of the attackers. 

* Molo Audace: (a pier in Trieste)