The victim of a violent robbery near Milan’s Duomo has spoken publicly about his ordeal, warning others to avoid the city center at night.
Alessandro Briguglio, 25, was ambushed on July 5 while walking with a friend in Piazza Missori and left with severe head injuries after two men attacked him for his €4,000 Tudor watch.
“Just a word of advice: In Milan, don’t turn towards the Duomo because it’s not safe. I had my head smashed in for a watch,” Briguglio said in a video posted to social media. He was treated at Policlinico Hospital, where doctors said another blow “could certainly have penetrated deeper and reached the brain.” Briguglio spent two days in intensive care and a further week in the hospital.
According to Corriere della Sera, authorities have since arrested Claudio Selimovic, 27, and his cousin Conan, 26, known as “Maradona,” on charges of aggravated robbery and attempted murder. Selimovic is a Bosnian surname that derives from Islam.
Prosecutors say the two cornered Briguglio and his friend near Via Zebedia, shouting “On the corner! The watch!” before launching a frenzied attack. Briguglio was beaten with a hammer, punched, and kicked until he collapsed against a wall. His friend managed to escape and raise the alarm, while bystanders recorded the attackers’ getaway car.
The Carabinieri Investigative Unit identified the suspects after cross-referencing CCTV, phone data, witness statements, and wiretaps. Searches of their homes uncovered stolen electronics, a replica pistol, and €13,000 in cash. Investigators also linked them to two other thefts in July, including suitcase robberies in Assago and Bicocca Village.
Judge Patrizia Nobile, in ordering pre-trial detention, cited their “unscrupulous, violent, and unrestrained personalities.” Wiretaps further revealed the extent of their criminal activity, with Selimovic boasting to his wife on July 26: “Today, I made a lot of money with Maradona, I made more than €20,000. He’s more hot-headed than me. He’s younger, and he doesn’t have a family.”
The case has intensified concerns about public safety in Milan’s historic center, where violent robberies have been on the rise.
Last month, an American tourist was stabbed in the chest while traveling on a regional train from Melegnano to Milan. The 27-year-old victim was attacked near San Giuliano Milanese train station by a gang of young men described as of North African origin, who attempted to steal his gold necklace before fleeing the scene.
Footage from the San Giuliano platform shows the victim, covered in blood, crying out, “I don’t want to die.”
Other attacks this year include one by five North African males accused of stabbing a 16-year-old Italian boy and leaving him for dead after stealing his wallet, cell phone, and scooter, and 10 North African men wanted for the gang rape of a 19-year-old student who was partying at a Milanese nightclub with her boyfriend in January.
In November last year, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi revealed that 65 percent of crimes in Milan are committed by the 20 percent foreign population, leading left-wing mayor Beppe Sala to admit, “I won’t claim Milan is a safe city, but it is making an effort to address challenges faced by all international cities.”
