Italians arrested in suspected sex assault of British girls

MILAN (AP) — Police in southern Italy have arrested four youths and are investigating another three on suspicion of sexually assaulting two British girls at a villa where a party was being held, authorities said Friday.

The girls, who spoke no Italian, met one of the male suspects after arriving at the party in the southern province of Matera. Police said the Italian youth won their trust by acting in a friendly manner while also taking advantage of the girls' “altered state’’ from consuming alcohol.

Private surveillance video released by police showed one of the minors being pushed by several males toward a dark corner behind the villa around midnight on Sept. 7, followed by three males with the other minor. Police said the two girls were then sexually assaulted. The two called police shortly after.

Police said they acted swiftly due to evidence of the ‘’brutality of the of the violence committed in a subtle manner that could have been repeated against other helpless women."