Bangladeshi man held for raping Finnish woman

Police on Monday arrested a 23-year-old Bangladeshi man for the suspected rape of a 20-year-old Finnish woman in Rome, who he allegedly also hit over the head with a large rock and robbed.

The Bangladeshi, who has a humanitarian permit of stay in Italy and has several jobs in Rome, was arrested at a restaurant in northern Rome where he was working as a dishwasher.

He is alleged to have attacked the Finnish woman and stolen 40 euros from her early on Sunday near Rome's central Termini rail station after offering to give her a lift home in his car when she couldn't find a taxi.

A resident who witnessed the attack from the window of her apartment called police and the Bangladeshi man was identified by his victim and from security camera footage, investigators said.

The Finnish woman, who recently arrived in Rome to work as a babysitter, described her ordeal as "terrible".

"I thought I was going to die," she said, stating that the Bangladeshi threatened to kill her if she put up any resistance.

Rome's female grassroots mayor Virginia Raggi deplored the attack.

"Solidarity with the Finnish girl attacked near Termini rail station. Rome will not accept any kind of violence," Raggi tweeted.

Source: Khaleej Times