Pescia, a 20-year-old woman refuses a sexual approach: tortured and nearly drowned in the river, 38-year-old Dominican arrested

An encounter along the banks of the Pescia River reportedly escalated into a violent attack on a 20-year-old woman , who was beaten, suffered facial burns, and repeatedly dunked in water after rejecting a sexual advance. Following the incident in Pescia, in the province of Pistoia , the State Police executed a pre-trial detention order against a 38-year-old man, originally from the Dominican Republic and resident in Montecatini Terme, accused of torture and attempted sexual assault . The decisive factor was a call to 112 from a passerby, who reportedly heard the woman's screams and requested emergency services.

The meeting along the Pescia river

According to investigators' reconstruction, the 20-year-old and the 38-year-old had met only a few days earlier and had subsequently decided to meet for a few hours along the Pescia River. La Nazione reports that the first meeting took place in a club in Valdinievole, while other reports suggest that contact continued through social media and messages before the date.

What should have been a pleasant afternoon spent together, however, took a turn for the worse when, according to police, the man attempted a sexual advance . The girl firmly resisted. It was at that point, according to evidence gathered by investigators, that a dramatic escalation of violence began.

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The rejection and violence against the twenty-year-old

According to the prosecution, when the young woman refused, the 38-year-old reacted violently, dragging her into the river. The girl was allegedly subjected to repeated submersion of her head under water , a procedure described in the reconstruction of the incident as a sort of controlled drowning. The man allowed her to breathe and then submerged her again, with the aim, according to the investigation's hypothesis, of breaking her resistance.

This particularly serious conduct fits within the accusatory framework reconstructed by investigators. The charges brought against the 38-year-old include torture and attempted sexual assault . Naturally, the subsequent judicial process will definitively determine responsibility and the circumstances of the alleged events.

The beatings with the belt, the stones and the cigarettes on the face

According to the investigation, the violence didn't end once they returned to shore. The 38-year-old continued to attack the twenty-year-old, repeatedly hitting her legs with a belt . He also allegedly used rocks against the young woman and burned her by putting out cigarettes on her face.

The sequence of events alleged against the man emerges from the police investigation and from testimonies collected after the rescue operations. Despite the violence described, the girl managed to scream and call for help, attracting the attention of a person in the area.

The girl's screams were heard by a passerby

The intervention of a passerby proved crucial in stopping the attack. The man heard screams and cries for help coming from the river area and immediately called the emergency number 112 , prompting the police to intervene.

When emergency services arrived, the alleged attacker had managed to escape. According to the reconstruction, upon seeing the intervention, the man fled, initially disappearing. The young woman was rescued and placed in the care of paramedics.

Investigations by the Pescia Police Station

Investigations were launched immediately by investigators from the Judicial Police Team at the Pescia Police Station . The investigations quickly identified and located the man identified as responsible for the attack. According to sources, the 38-year-old already had a criminal record, including specific convictions.

A pre-trial detention order was subsequently executed against him . The 38-year-old was transferred to the Pistoia prison, where he is being held by the judicial authorities. The charges against him remain those of torture and attempted sexual assault.

The twenty-year-old was rescued after the attack

The girl received medical treatment after the incident. Despite the seriousness of the conduct described by investigators, the physical injuries were deemed curable within a few days . According to Corriere Fiorentino, the young woman has also received psychological support following the experience.