Australian groom-to-be runs naked through old Italian town on his stag party before being ‘lynched’ by 20 angry locals in an attack that left him hospitalised
- The devastating attack has left residents fearing for their own safety in the city
- The victim was allegedly kicked, punched and hit with bars by a large group
An Australian tourist has been hospitalised after being ‘lynched’ by a group of around 20 locals for running naked through a historic Italian town during his stag party.
The unidentified groom-to-be was “visibly drunk” when he stripped naked and began walking through the rain in the ancient town of Nardò, Puglia on Friday night.
Video footage shows the tourist making a fool of himself with his friends at the city police station, where they were celebrating his bachelor party on September 13.
But the mood quickly changed when a “large group of boys” stopped him in the Piazza della Repubblica, kicked him and beat him with bars, then ran away.
The man was taken to hospital with injuries and later discharged, but the attack has sparked outrage and concern among residents of the sleepy town, who have criticised police for failing to keep the town safe at night.
The man was walking through the historic city on Friday evening before he was robbed
A group of about 20 men allegedly beat the victim with bars before running away
It is unclear what prompted the man to undress during his bachelor party on Friday.
According to local media, he was drinking with friends when he jokingly took off his clothes and underwear and walked through the historic center.
Stunned bystanders took out their phones to film the man as he paraded through the streets.
According to conflicting reports, he is said to have lived in Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Repubblica, streets just seconds apart in the heart of the historic centre.
Both are located less than 100 meters from the city police station.
As residents filmed, the man was confronted by a “large group” of about 20 men, who reportedly kicked and punched him.
The man was even beaten with sticks before the men ran away, according to Corriere della Sera.
The anonymous tourist was eventually rescued and taken to hospital, while police launched an investigation to find the men responsible for the attack.
He was treated and released without serious injuries, Giornale di Puglia reported.
Images circulating online are dividing residents.
Although walking around the city naked was immediately considered obscene, many people protested the attack and perceived police negligence.
Local councillor Alberto Gatto took the opportunity to criticise authorities over security concerns.
“Twenty days ago I spoke in the city council about a city that was completely out of control,” he told La Repubblica.
‘The mayor apparently likes these kinds of sketches better, while the police station can no longer guarantee safety and urban decency standards in this city.’
Video footage showed the tourist acting like a fool with friends near the city’s police station as they celebrated his bachelor party
Locals feared that police would not be able to control the violence on Friday evening
The man was reportedly attacked less than a two-minute walk from the city’s police station
In July, a tourist in Florence, Italy, sparked outrage after swimming topless in a fountain next to the ancient Piazza Santo Spirito.
The square features a 550-year-old church, considered one of the best-preserved examples of Renaissance architecture.
The woman was filmed swimming in the fountain while wearing only black pants.
She even asked the other people sitting on the edge of the pool, “Are you coming?”, but no one seemed to join her in the murky water.
Locals were very critical of tourists who were bathing in the fountain ‘the way Mother Nature does’. One said: ‘Shame should come back into fashion.’
Why do tourists come to our house to [do] “Whatever they want, but if we go to their country, do we have to do what they say?” someone responded.
