A 23-year-old man died and another was seriously injured following a violent altercation in Piazza Matteotti, Rovigo late on Saturday night.
The incident occurred shortly before midnight in the gardens near the base of the Matteotti monument, under the city’s historic towers. The victim, Amine Gara, a Tunisian national and resident of Rovigo, is believed to have died from stab wounds. However, investigators have not ruled out the use of a broken bottle.
The second man, aged 30, remains in hospital in serious condition.
Police say the violence appears to have stemmed from a confrontation between a group of Tunisians and a group of Pakistanis. However, the sequence of events is still being reconstructed and the full motive remains unclear.
Emergency services responded quickly, with Suem 118 medical teams providing first aid at the scene before transferring the victims to hospital. Amine Gara died shortly after arrival.
Officers from the Flying Squad and Carabinieri cordoned off the area and began gathering testimony from witnesses, many of whom were in the square when the altercation took place. Forensic teams conducted a detailed search of the area, including nearby bushes and bins, in an attempt to locate the weapon or weapons involved.
Fourth stabbing in Rovigo in a month
This is the fourth stabbing incident in Rovigo’s city centre in the past month. While the previous cases were less severe, this marks the first fatality. It also follows a rape near the train station earlier this week.
Elsewhere in the city on Saturday evening, disorder was reported in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. A group of reportedly intoxicated individuals disrupted the “Voci per la Libertà – Una canzone per Amnesty” music festival by entering bars and storming the stage. Law enforcement had to intervene to restore order.
Some of the disruption has been tentatively linked to visiting fans and players attending the Under-20 Rugby World Cup. They included several young Welsh nationals who were seen later in the night stopping cars in Corso del Popolo asking for transport back to their accommodation. These reports remain unconfirmed.
Police investigations into both incidents are ongoing.
