A man was arrested in Milan after police intervened during an alleged sexual assault at the Lampugnano bus station on Monday, May 19th. The incident was first reported by a bus driver who alerted authorities to a suspicious situation nearby.
According to local reports, the intervention took place in the late afternoon when officers stationed at the transport hub were informed that a man and a woman appeared to be involved in a violent encounter in a secluded area close to the station. Police moved in and separated the pair, stopping the attack and taking statements from the victim.
The woman, a French national born in 1984, had reportedly just arrived from Linate airport and was sitting with her luggage when the suspect approached her under the pretext of offering help. Investigators say the situation escalated quickly, with physical aggression and threats allegedly used to force her away from the public area. Police later confirmed the man was detained at the scene and taken into custody.
Authorities identified the suspect as a Nigerian man, C.I., born in 2000, who was inside Italy illegally. During the investigation, officers also recovered CCTV footage supporting witness statements. Police said the alleged victim was assisted both by patrol officers and the Women and Minors Protection Unit.
Officials further noted that the suspect had a record of prior arrests, including for offences such as theft, robbery, and resistance to authority, as well as for alleged sexual violence in 2019.The case comes amid broader concerns over public safety in Italy. Last week, in the northern city of Modena, a driver ran over several pedestrians before crashing his vehicle into a shop window. Authorities in that case said the suspect, a 31-year-old Italian man of Moroccan heritage, was believed to have acted at least in part under psychiatric distress.
