January 19th 2025.
The New Year's Eve fireworks display in Milan turned into a nightmare for Imogen, a 19-year-old British woman who was on holiday there with her friends. Amidst the celebrations, she fell victim to a group of men who grabbed and sexually assaulted her, leaving her traumatized and bleeding. What's even more disturbing is that she heard the screams of another woman being assaulted while she was going through the same ordeal.
Imogen and her friends had been enjoying the evening with some new acquaintances they had made on their travels. They headed to the Piazza del Duomo to watch the fireworks, but little did they know that it would turn into a terrifying experience. Surrounded by a large crowd, Imogen and her friends were separated and she found herself being grabbed and harassed by a group of men. They held her arms and hands tightly so she couldn't defend herself, while others tried to pull up her dress. She struggled and pleaded for help, but the men seemed to enjoy her distress.
As the chaos and panic escalated, Imogen heard one of the men mention raping her, and another tried to assault her with his hands. Feeling like she had to fight for her life, she bravely fought back against her attackers, sustaining cuts and bruises in the process. She also recalls an unknown liquid being thrown at her, causing her eyes and nose to sting. Despite her efforts, she was unable to break free until she started screaming, which caught the attention of her friends in the crowd.
Now back in the UK, Imogen is sharing her story in the hopes of raising awareness about the incident and dispelling any false information being spread about the attackers. She wants people to understand that the men who assaulted her and other women were not holding Palestinian flags, as some reports claim. She also wants to unite women and the people of Italy in their outrage against such heinous acts, rather than letting it become a divisive issue.
Imogen recalls that there was no visible police presence at the Piazza del Duomo when they arrived. She and a friend left the group to find a restroom, and she was immediately targeted by a man who tried to grope her and pull up her dress. When she returned to her friends, she found that other girls in the group had also been touched by men in the crowd. As they waited for the fireworks to begin, Imogen and her friends felt unsafe and trapped, with no way to escape the groping hands of the attackers. It was only after the fireworks were set off and the commotion caused the crowd to disperse that Imogen was able to break free.
In the midst of the chaos, Imogen and her friends desperately searched for police officers, but couldn't find any until much later. The officers initially dismissed their claims, but after seeing Imogen's injuries and hearing her account, they took her statement and called for backup. She was consoled by a female officer who told her that the attackers were Bangladeshi, but Imogen wants to make it clear that their actions were not motivated by religion or politics. She is also speaking out against those who are trying to blame her and others for the assault, stating that they were in no way responsible for what happened.
Imogen has returned to the UK and is filing a legal complaint through the Italian embassy. She wants the men who assaulted her to be held accountable for their actions and hopes that other women who were victimized will come forward. She wants people to understand that this was an organized group of men, and not a reflection of any particular religion or nationality. Despite the trauma she experienced, Imogen wants to spread a message of unity and justice, and she refuses to let this incident divide people.
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