Rome police arrested five African migrants on May 28, 2026, for the alleged abduction and gang rape of a 32-year-old Colombian tourist. The men faced charges of gang rape aggravated by the victim’s defenseless state.
The woman arrived in Rome on May 9, 2026. On May 19, she dined alone near Termini Station. A man approached her outside the restaurant and offered to sell her hashish. She followed him, after which the group forced her into a van and took her to an abandoned building on the eastern outskirts of Rome.
The five men held the tourist captive for 72 hours. They drugged her and subjected her to repeated sexual assaults. Police reports stated the men also issued death threats and used violence against her. The victim endured the ordeal until she escaped and alerted authorities.
Italian police raided the abandoned property after the woman’s escape. Officers arrested Saidykhan Lamin, a 29-year-old Gambian, and Karamba Kanteh, a 38-year-old Gambian. They also detained Harouna Traore, a 43-year-old Malian, along with two Nigerians, Isibor Wisdom, 29, and Paul Nwabueze, 39.
Judicial sources confirmed the arrests. Investigators linked the men to the crime through the victim’s identification and evidence from the scene. Another 11 migrants faced expulsion from Italy in connection with the case, though authorities did not charge them with the gang rape. The victim received medical care and support after her release.
