Catania police have executed a precautionary order against a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old accused of aggravated private violence and assault motivated by homophobic discrimination. Prosecutors detailed a “brutal beating” targeting three gay youths at a local fast-food outlet, where assailants struck victims with “slaps, kicks, punches, and hurled stools.” The April 26 assault was halted when a bystander sprayed pepper spray into the air, rendering the area uninhabitable, and a sanitation worker restrained one attacker attempting to bludgeon a victim with a helmet.
A minor allegedly involved faces separate review by juvenile prosecutors. The court-ordered restrictions mandate both suspects to remain home nightly from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM. The 21-year-old, already detained on unrelated charges, was served notice in prison.
Victims sustained injuries requiring 7–21 days to heal. Evidence includes witness testimonies, CCTV footage, photo identifications, and social media analysis. Catania’s prosecution affirmed the inquiry established a “coherent, unequivocal reconstruction” of the attack, noting the assailants targeted the victims after being “irritated by their homosexual conversations.” Authorities credited the bystanders’ interventions for preventing more severe harm.