An Italian man who had previously confronted a Moroccan national for harassing young girls near a train station was left with permanent facial injuries after being attacked with a broken glass bottle by the migrant, in an assault that an Italian court ruled was carried out with the intent to kill.
According to La Tribuna, the attack took place in May last year behind the train station in Mogliano.
The victim had confronted 49-year-old Moroccan Isam Rachid a few days earlier after witnessing him harass young girls near the station.
The two men encountered each other again on the afternoon of May 27, 2025, and a further confrontation ensued. Surveillance footage cited in court showed an argument between the two before the violence escalated.
During the altercation, Rachid, who was holding a beer bottle, smashed it and attacked the local man with the broken neck of the bottle. He struck him four times in the face, aiming for the neck. The blows narrowly missed the jugular vein but caused permanent damage to the victim’s ear and mouth. The man collapsed to the ground.
The attack occurred in front of several witnesses, some of whom called the authorities. Emergency responders arriving at the scene found the victim lying in a pool of blood. Paramedics transported him to Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso, while Rachid was arrested by officers from the Mogliano station on suspicion of attempted murder.
The attacker was initially held in Santa Bona prison before being placed under house arrest at his apartment in Mogliano. He had no prior criminal record.
Following a summary trial, Rachid was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to three years, six months, and 20 days in prison. The sentence was reduced by a third due to the choice of an alternative trial procedure and the recognition of mitigating circumstances.
The court dropped the aggravating circumstance of acting for futile motives, as requested by the prosecution, after supermarket surveillance footage showed that provocations between the two men were mutual.
During the investigation, the local public prosecutor ordered an expert assessment to determine whether the attack could have been fatal. Based on both the victim’s injuries and the surveillance footage, the expert concluded that the blows were delivered with the intention to kill.
The victim has also filed a civil claim against Rachid for damages.
Once Rachid has served his sentence, he will be expelled from Italy.
