They start a fight in a downtown bar and set pitbulls against the police

One of them allegedly harassed the barmaid of a club in via del Mascherino – in the Borgo district, a stone’s throw from the Vatican – sparking a fight that involved the woman’s husband, owner of the bar, and at least five homeless people who were arrested by the carabinieri of San Pietro station.

One of the arrested women, who arrived this morning at the court in Piazzale Clodio for the validation hearing, also unleashed a pit bull against the soldiers, with the dog which, once set off by its owner, tore the trousers of two carabinieri who intervened. But let’s go in order.

When the police arrived at the bar in via del Mascherino they found about ten people arguing. One of them was hitting a man of Chinese origin, the owner of the business, with a wooden stick that was presumably the leg of a chair; the same one who, in the meantime, had to defend himself from another man who was trying to punch him. Furthermore, the couple of Chinese bartenders were also allegedly threatened with death. The police managed to bring the situation back to normal, although the six arrested – four men and two women – resisted.

And this is the crime for which the very direct ritual was celebrated this morning. In addition to setting the dog on them, in fact, some of those arrested also kicked the police, spitting in their faces and insulting them. A behavior that continued even after the arrest. Five of the six arrested, in front of the panel in room VI, decided to make use of the right not to respond. Only one of them decided to explain her version of events to the judges.

This is a 41-year-old woman from Syracuse who claimed to be a “graduate in education sciences” and to also have a daughter in Sicily. “I came to Rome – she continued – because I thought I would find work more easily, but instead I ended up on the street. I don’t know why the fight broke out, I intervened to defend my partner who I saw bleeding”. Prosecutor Giovanni Bertolini requested and obtained validation of the arrest.

The ban on residence in Rome was applied to all: “there is a danger of recurrence”, writes the judge in the order regarding the precautionary needs. As for the validation, the magistrate considered that “the arrest was legitimately carried out” and that the measure was also justified in light of “the number of people involved and the presence of an aggressive dog”.