Pack attack in Vomero, 50-year-old man beaten and run over

A 50-year-old man was attacked by a gang of very young individuals on Saturday evening in Naples, in the Vomero district, and subsequently run over by a municipal sanitation truck. The man had intervened to defend his daughter, who was involved in an argument among teenage girls. The beating, documented in videos that went viral, saw about ten assailants surround and repeatedly strike the man even after he had fallen to the ground.

Hospitalized at Cardarelli Hospital, the man was saved from the risk of leg amputation and is now doing better, but remains in shock. Eight youths, almost all minors, have been identified by the investigations of the Naples prosecutor's office. Two teenage girls are believed to be responsible for triggering the assault. The prefect of Naples has announced a crackdown on controls in the area.

The group violence episode, referred to as a "pack" attack, occurred in an affluent neighborhood of Naples, Vomero, traditionally considered quiet and well-off. These incidents are not isolated and reflect a broader phenomenon of group assaults by very young individuals, often minors, who use the strength of numbers against single individuals. The dynamic often originates from small arguments or personal grievances that quickly escalate into organized physical violence.

The specific case had a prologue with a fight between teenage girls over a disputed boyfriend, which involved a young man on a scooter. After the 50-year-old slapped this boy to avenge his daughter, the latter called a group of friends, triggering the group assault. The presence of videos of the attack, spread on social media and gone viral, amplified the impact of the event, leading to institutional reactions such as the announcement of increased controls by the prefect.