He kicked down the door of the rectory, then reached the priest in his bedroom and threatened to kill him. Frightening moments unfolded on Tuesday afternoon in Rimini, where a priest was assaulted by a 23-year-old in a state of severe agitation.
The episode took place around 2:30 p.m. The young man, who was carrying a can of pepper spray and a lighter, forced his way into the priest’s home, catching him by surprise in his room.
The priest tried to calm him down and initially managed to convince him to leave. But as the young man headed for the exit, he lost control again: he hurled a statue of the Madonna to the ground, smashing it to pieces, before striking the priest with several slaps and continuing to hurl death threats at him.
Once the young man had left, the priest called the police. Officers from the local patrol unit (Volanti) responded to the scene and located the 23-year-old in the park in front of the church, where he was identified.
The priest subsequently filed a formal complaint against the young man.
