An American student who has accused an Italian police officer of sexual assault is speaking out about her horrifying ordeal.
In an interview on Good Morning America, the 21-year-old student, who asked not to be named, recounted what occurred to her and her 19-year-old friend when they were approached by two cops in the early hours of the morning on September 7.
The student said she went to a night club called Flo’ in Florence and that later, she and a friend tried to call a taxi to leave when two Italian police officers, whom they met outside of the club, offered to drive them home instead.
‘What’s more safe than getting in the back of a police car?’ the woman told ABC News.
Two American students, 21 and 19, studying abroad in Italy have accused two police officers of sexually assaulting them. In an interview on Good Morning America, the 21-year-old student (pictured), who asked not to be named, recounted what occurred in the early hours of the morning on September 7
The 21-year-old said she and a friend were looking for a cab home from the night club Flo’ in Florence when officers Marco Camuffo, 43 (pictured), and Pietro Costa, 31, offered to give them a ride
When they got to the apartment building Costa got in the elevator with the 19-year-old and Camuffo went up the stairs with the 21-year-old (pictured, Camuffo, right, and Costa, left, meet the girls outside of the club)
The members of Italy’s Carabinieri police force, 43-year-old Marco Camuffo and 31-year-old Pietro Costa drove them to their apartment building and, when they arrived, the officers followed them to the front door.
‘I didn’t think it was that strange, because my friend…she couldn’t really stand by herself, she needed assistance,’ the student recalled. ‘So the one officer was like, “Oh, we’ll help you, we’ll help you”.’
She said because the elevator at their apartment building only fit two people, her friend and Costa took the elevator while she and Camuffo took the stairs.
When the student and Camuffo arrived on the third floor, right in front of her apartment door, she says the officer began to sexually assault her.
‘He moved me over to the windowsill, and then assaulted me there. And I was terrified. I mean, he had a gun,’ she said. ‘He is a trained military police officer, what do you do in that moment?
‘I had said ‘No,’ and he put me up against the wall, and he started pulling at my clothes, and I kept pulling them back up and everything,’ she recalled. ‘That was probably when I was, like, the most scared.’
She added that during the encounter, she couldn’t even understand what Camuffo was saying.
When the student (picturdand Camuffo arrived on the third floor, right in front of her apartment door, she says the officer began to sexually assault her.
‘He didn’t speak any English,’ she said. ‘So that was even worse…I mean, “No” is universal’ (Pictured, the night club Flo’)
‘He didn’t speak any English,’ she said. ‘So that was even worse…I mean, “No” is universal.’
Eventually, the student said the elevator doors opened and she grabbed her friend, who she says was bloodied, and dragged her into the apartment.
The police officers have been suspended from the force. They admitted to having sex with the women but both claim that any sex that night was consensual.
Sandro Paterno, an attorney for the student, told ABC News that November testimony of the other officer, Costa, proves that the encounter between her client and Camuffo was not consensual.
Sandro Paterno, an attorney for the student, told ABC News that November testimony of the other officer, Costa, proves that the encounter between her client and Camuffo was not consensual (Pictured, Flo’ night club)
The student said that despite everything that she says happened at the hands of authorities in Italy, she has faith in the judicial system (Pictured, a car of the Italian Carabinieri)
He told ABC News: ‘This is from the deposition…before the public prosecutor. He says…”I saw Camufo, the other guy, that tried to lower the pants of the girl and she was…with some resistance, she said: “No, no”.’
The student said that despite everything that she says happened at the hands of authorities in Italy, she has faith in the judicial system.
‘I think the evidence is overwhelming,’ she said. ‘I think that justice is going to prevail, and they’re going to go to jail.’