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Four men have been arrested in Italy on suspicion of sexually assaulting two British girls during the holidays who are reportedly 15 years old.
The alleged gang rape took place during a party at a villa in the town of Marconia di Pisticci on Monday night.
The four men detained and currently in custody are reportedly between 19 and 23 years old.
Three other suspects are also under investigation, while an eighth has yet to be identified.
A judge said the alleged assault involved “serious and brutal violence.”
One of the alleged assailants is said to have gained the trust of the victims, who did not speak Italian, before taking advantage of them after they had consumed alcohol.
CCTV footage released by the police showed that one of the girls was pushed by a group of men into a dark corner of the village before being followed by three other men and the other victim.
Officers said the two girls were sexually assaulted in separate attacks that lasted about 15 minutes.
Local media have reported that both girls were beaten before being gang-raped.
The girls contacted the police several hours later and were treated at the hospital.
They were said to be in shock, with marks on their bodies suggesting signs of violence, according to reports.
The Adnkronos news agency has reported that the couple has already been fired.
Police in the southern province of Matera said: “On the night of September 7-8, in Marconia di Pisticci, sexual violence was committed against two foreign minors who were at a party in a village.
“The investigation unit of the Matera police headquarters has launched investigations in coordination with the prosecution.”
The lawyer for the two girls, Giuseppe Rago, said: “What happened is extremely serious and we hope that the judicial authority will bring justice to the girls and their parents for what they endured.”
