Catania court sentences three men for sexual assault of Hungarian tourists

A court in Catania, Sicily, has sentenced three Moroccan men to prison terms exceeding seven years for the group sexual assault of two Hungarian women. The first-instance ruling handed 7 years and 2 months to two of the defendants, aged 23 and 26, while a third perpetrator received 7 years and 4 months.

The defendants were convicted of group sexual assault, drug possession, and forcing the victims to consume drugs. The incident occurred in late August last year when the victims, who were tourists, accepted a ride from the men near the Catania coast. Instead of taking them to their accommodation, the men drove them to a remote location where they were forced to consume cocaine and subjected to sexual violence.

At the time of the crime, all three men were residing in Italy as illegal immigrants. The victims' lawyer, Massimiliano Scaringella, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, stating that the court found the women's testimonies fully credible and that the ruling reinforces that such behavior is intolerable in Italy. The court will issue a separate decision regarding compensation for the victims, which may be supported by an Italian state fund for victims of violence.