What you should know before reading
- A man attempted to abduct a 1.5-year-old girl outside a supermarket in Bergamo, Italy.
- The child suffered a fractured femur and was taken to hospital.
- Parents, bystanders and security staff restrained the suspect before police arrived.
- The man has been charged with kidnapping of a minor and aggravated bodily harm.
BERGAMO — A routine Saturday afternoon turned into a moment of panic in the northern Italian city of Bergamo, where a man allegedly tried to forcibly take a toddler from her parents outside a supermarket. The entire incident was captured on surveillance cameras, allowing investigators to reconstruct the events in detail.
According to police reports, the attack occurred around 1 p.m. as a family — a father, mother and their young daughter — was leaving the store. Without warning, the man approached them, grabbed the child by the legs and attempted to pull her away from her mother toward the shopping complex.
The mother immediately screamed for help while the father intervened and tried to stop the attacker. Within seconds, nearby shoppers and security personnel rushed to assist. Together they managed to overpower the man and hold him until police officers arrived at the scene.
During the struggle, the child suffered serious injuries, including a fractured femur. Emergency medical services transported her to hospital, where she received treatment. Authorities later confirmed the girl is in stable condition but will require ongoing medical care and recovery.
Police identified the suspect as a Romanian national without permanent residence and with no prior criminal record. Investigators have not yet determined a clear motive and are examining whether the act was impulsive or related to psychological factors.
Prosecutors charged the man with kidnapping a minor under aggravating circumstances — since the victim is under 14 years old — and causing serious bodily harm. He is currently being held in custody pending a judicial review of his detention.
The shocking incident has sparked public concern in Bergamo about safety in crowded public areas such as shopping centers. Local officials emphasized, however, that the rapid reaction of witnesses likely prevented a far more tragic outcome.
Security analysts note that attempted child abductions in public spaces remain rare events in Italy, yet they generate widespread alarm due to their severity. The case also highlights the critical role ordinary citizens can play in emergencies — decisive action by bystanders may have saved a life.