The US tourist was in Santa Maria del Giglio in Venice on Thursday when she noticed a 14-year-old thief was plundering her pocket for her purse and passport
A teen pickpocket was grabbed by the ponytail after trying to plunder the pockets of an irate US tourist in Italy. The American traveller was visiting Venice’s Santa Maria del Giglio area on Thursday when the 14-year-old thief tried her luck, swiping the contents of the woman’s purse.
In footage of the incident, the tourist is seen grabbing the youngster by the hair before parading her through a crowd of people. According to local media, the holidaymaker, who hasn’t been identified, had caught her snatching the purse – which contained her money and passport. Instinctively, she lashed out and grabbed her by the pony tail.
The young girl tries to struggle and is seen screaming in the face of the tourist. But the traveller holds on firm, telling her: “You stole my purse with my passport in it. You are not getting away. I’m not stopping kid. You are not getting away.”
Another teen, thought to be her accomplice, threatens to call the police for assault. The tourist replies: “Let’s get the police and maybe I’ll get my passport back.”
Someone called for the police, but as the alleged thief realised they were on their way, she grabbed her phone and used it as a weapon, repeatedly striking the tourist in the head.
With a single blow, she opened up a gash on the side of her head. Paramedics later treated her for the wound.
Police arrived and though the pair of thieves resisted arrest, they were quickly overpowered and hauled into the local police station where they were charged with theft.
After being released on bail, they were reportedly spotted meandering through crowds of tourists two days later. The clip went viral on social media, where the American visitor was praised for fighting back against what is seen as a scourge on the tourist city.
One user said: “Super good job lady. Hold the ponytail tight until the police come. And make them empty their bags and pants.”
Deputy Chief of the local police, Gianni Franzoi, told Secolo d’Italia: “There are now more female pickpockets, drawn to the city by a bubble of legal impunity.
“(The law) stipulates, in addition to a formal complaint, the injured parties’ presence at the hearing.” This means that in order for a conviction to be passed, the victim of the theft has to attend court.
With most victims being foreigners, they are rarely able to attend the hearings. “So there are no trials and no convictions,” he said.
Another hurdle to conviction is the age of the perpetrators. In Italy, those under the age of 14 are not criminally responsible. Gangs specifically target youngsters – known as ‘baby borseggiatori’ (baby pickpockets) – and recruit them to do their dirty work.
The Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, is calling for changes to the law to equip police and courts with power to combat the scourge.
“We cannot resign ourselves to the normalisation of crimes that damage people’s lives and the city’s image on a daily basis,” Brugnaro said last week.
“We need urgent corrective measures. The government has to listen to local communities and guarantee urban security.”