A 30-year-old Polish woman was attacked in broad daylight on one of the streets of Milan. According to her account, a group of seven or eight young men allegedly followed her, harassed her and brutally beat her. She was saved from an even greater tragedy by a random passer-by who single-handedly stepped in to defend her.
The incident reportedly took place on Friday afternoon in the Porta Romana area. Anna Aksamit, a Polish model who has been living in Italy for several months, left her home to go to a nearby supermarket. Soon after, she noticed a group of young men. In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, she recounted the events of that day.
“At one point I noticed a group of boys. There were six, seven, maybe eight of them. They were drinking beer. I immediately felt uneasy, so I changed my route to avoid them. But it didn’t help. They had already picked me as a target”, she said.
According to the Polish woman, her attempt to avoid contact with the group was unsuccessful. The men attacked the 30-year-old physically. “They started following me. They quickly caught up with me and began touching and hitting me. They wanted to have sex with me. I tried to stop them and defend myself in every possible way, but I couldn’t because there were too many of them”, she reported.
“They started punching me”
According to her account, the violence quickly escalated. The attackers allegedly punched her in the face and stomach. “They started punching me. In the stomach, in the face. I still have marks on my face. My right eye is very swollen and bruised”, she said.
Due to shock, she is not able to clearly describe the attackers. “I only remember that they were slim, and some of them were holding beer bottles. Unfortunately, I can’t clearly recall their faces. Everything is still very chaotic in my mind”, she admitted.
Heroic intervention by a passer-by
The attack was stopped thanks to a young man who heard the woman’s screams and decided to intervene.
“A brave young man came to my aid when he saw what was happening. He also took a big risk, confronting them alone without fear. If I am here today, it is thanks to him”, the 30-year-old Polish woman said.
As she added, she remembers very little from those dramatic moments.
“I only remember that he was very tall and well-built. Nothing more. Unfortunately, because of the shock I remember very little from those dramatic moments. I ran away shortly after”, she said.
“I cried all night”
The 30-year-old admits she still cannot recover from what happened on Friday afternoon. “I cried all night. I can’t stop. I was very scared, and when I look in the mirror I can see my eye getting more and more swollen from the blows. These were terrible moments. Something I will hardly ever be able to forget”, she said.
The Polish woman also wants to find the man who stood up for her. “I would like to meet him or at least know his name. I thought he was Italian. I owe him a lot and I would like to thank him for what he did. He was a true hero”, she stressed.
The woman will report the case
Anna Aksamit announced that she intends to report the incident to the Italian law enforcement authorities. She is represented by lawyer Domenico Musicco, who stated that the incident highlights the need to improve safety and more effectively prosecute perpetrators of such crimes. At this stage, the 30-year-old’s account represents a description of events presented by the victim. The circumstances of the incident are to be investigated by the competent authorities.