A fifty-year-old man has been arrested in San Lazzaro di Savena, near Bologna, on charges of attempted aggravated murder and arson after he tried to strangle his minor son. The attack was thwarted by the intervention of one of the family’s two large dogs.
The emergency began when the teenage boy called Italy’s 112 emergency number, reporting that his father was attempting to strangle him. Upon arrival, Carabinieri officers discovered the home engulfed in flames—later extinguished by firefighters—and the two dogs, but no immediate sign of the father or son. The minor had already been rescued by 118 medical personnel and transported to the hospital.
Although shaken, the boy was reported to be in good overall condition. He stated that he only managed to escape and save himself thanks to the intervention of one of the family dogs. The animals have since been placed in a kennel.
The father, realizing the gravity of his actions, subsequently turned himself in at a Carabinieri station. He confessed to attacking his son during an argument and to deliberately setting the house on fire.
Acting on orders from the Bologna prosecutor’s office, the fifty-year-old has been taken to prison.
© Copyright ANSA – All rights reserved