Knife attacks by foreign nationals in Italy

In early July 2026, police arrested two foreign nationals after a knife attack at Monza train station, prompting heightened security at transport hubs. A month later, in early August, four Tunisian men were charged with aggravated assault following a knife fight in Bronte’s Piazza Spedalieri that injured two participants.

On 1 August 2026, authorities reported a wave of criminal incidents across several Italian towns. The Bronte brawl was reiterated, confirming the earlier charges against the Tunisian suspects. In San Leone, a 17‑year‑old was stabbed multiple times during a night‑time fight, sustaining serious injuries; the perpetrators’ nationalities were not disclosed. In Mirabella Imbaccari, a resident threatened foreign residents with a chainsaw and racial insults, prompting intervention by an off‑duty Carabiniere.

Further investigation of the San Leone incident identified a 26‑year‑old suspect of Gambian origin, who claimed self‑defence. The case spurred local political action, with council groups demanding a permanent security table, improved lighting, video surveillance and coordinated measures between municipal authorities, the Prefecture, police and community organisations to curb youth‑related violence during the summer months.

The August 1 report reiterated the Bronte knife brawl, confirming two injuries and the four Tunisian defendants, and noted that the San Leone stabbing is now being treated as a murder investigation. Authorities also recorded a separate violent episode—a prison riot at the Casa Circondariale in Benevento involving about 50 inmates—but this incident is unrelated to the pattern of knife‑related attacks involving foreign nationals.