Italian police arrest four people over alleged rape of two British girls

Italian police have arrested four people in connection with the alleged gang-rape of two British girls in a small town in the south of the country.

The rape reportedly took place on Monday night at a house party in Marconia di Pisticci, a town of about 8,000 people in the Basilicata province of Matera.

Further details about the investigation will be announced at a press conference at 11am local time (10am GMT).

Police authorities in Matera said in a statement on Thursday: “On the night between 7-8 September, in Marconia di Pisticci, sexual violence was committed against two foreign minors who were at a party in a villa. The investigative unit of Matera police headquarters has begun investigations in coordination with the public prosecutor’s office.”

Reports in the local press claim the girls, who were in the seaside town on holiday, were slapped and punched before being raped by more than one person.

The girls reported the rape after calling an ambulance and being admitted to Madonna della Grazie hospital in Matera. They were in a state of shock and marks on their bodies showed signs of violence, according to the reports. The news agency Adnkronos said the girls had since been discharged from the hospital.

One of the girls is reported to have relatives in the area.