This is the horrific moment a gay couple were beaten with a belt and attacked by a gang of four after they were seen holding hands.
Mattia and Antonio – names changed by local media – were attacked at 4am last weekend after an LBGT+ event in Rome.
Terrifying footage captured the incident, showing two men crossing the street holding hands, before two men and a woman in lingerie and knee-high boots launched their attack.
The two male assailants, wearing T-shirts and shorts, followed the couple for a while until one of them, wearing a white shirt, lifted his leg and kicked them while shouting homophobic slurs and calling them “f******.”
The couple, seemingly stunned by the violence, attempt to take revenge, but are outnumbered when the scantily clad woman intervenes.
Footage captured the moment a gay couple (dressed in black and white) were attacked as they walked hand-in-hand through the streets of Rome at 4am after an LGBT+ event
Three men and a woman, dressed in lingerie, launched the attack while shouting homophobic insults at the couple
The attacker in blue and the attacker in white can be seen holding a belt as he whips the gay man in black after he is tackled to the ground
The female attacker and her buddy (in blue) kicked the gay men (in black and white) to the ground in the middle of the road as cars drove by
The attacking couple continues to beat the couple violently, as they can be seen standing with their arms above their heads as they try to protect themselves.
She runs towards the couple and then pushes one of the men away, throwing punches as they try to fight back, but she backs away too.
The two male assailants become involved in the fight again after one of them punches one of the male members of the couple in the head, causing him to fall to the ground next to a lamppost.
Within seconds, the woman, who appears to have just returned from a strip club, grabs him and continues to beat him, while her two friends take on the other man in the group.
One of the attackers then takes off his belt and punches one of the gay men in the stomach, while his friend holds him still.
As he falls to the ground from the impact of the swings, he tries to shield his face with his arms as he continues to be beaten by the cruel man.
After violently beating him on his arms, back and stomach for a few seconds, the two attackers begin to punch him in the head, putting him in a headlock while he is still pinned to the ground.
The man’s friend appears to break free from the woman’s grip on the other side of the road. He runs past and gives his partner’s attacker a hard blow to the head.
The woman in the thong and bra quickly resumes her attack. She grabs one of the men and hits him on the head, then kicks him over when he tries to get up.
When one of the gay men broke free from his attackers, he was dragged back to join his boyfriend (who was dressed in black) on the street, where they were further attacked.
The two men and the woman dragged the gay couple (in black and white on the ground) from the sidewalk onto the road to continue their abuse
As the gay man (in black) tried to get up, his attackers knocked him down again
As the cars drive by, the couple remains stuck on the roadside floor until three bystanders finally offer their help to the victims.
According to the Gay Centre, which posted the gruesome footage on YouTube, the couple ended up in the emergency room after the attack.
They reportedly did not report the incident to police, but told the Italian helpline: ‘We can no longer accept living in a society where violence like the one we have experienced is still a sad reality.
‘We are tired of being afraid to hold hands, of constantly looking over our shoulders, and of living in constant fear of becoming victims of senseless acts.
‘Although we are not professional activists, we cannot remain silent in the face of such atrocities.
‘Besides the physical pain of the abuse, we were also deeply hurt by the indifference of the people who witnessed the scene.
‘Instead of intervening and helping us, these people preferred to film what was happening and publish it on social media, making fun of our pain.
“When we watched the video, we were shocked by the brutality with which we were attacked, without anyone fearing the serious consequences such an act could have.”
Eventually, passers-by stopped to intervene as the attacker in blue attempted to lift his fellow attacker in white off the ground, while the gay man in black remained on the ground beneath the female attacker.
The fight is split up by several spectators, who had initially watched and filmed without helping the gay couple
Alessandra Rossi, coordinator of the Gay Help Line, said: ‘What happened to the two boys leaves us shocked and concerned.
‘In recent months, the Gay Help Line has already recorded an increase in the number of reports of microaggressions taking place in places where the LGBTQIA+ community is active.
“There is concern, but also the power that comes from outrage. The culture of hate cannot and must not be brought into places of sociality and entertainment.
‘Institutions should pay more attention to protecting victims.’
Alessandro Cataldi, head of Gay Help Line’s legal department, added: ‘Gay Help Line stands by Mattia and Antonio on the path to legal protection.
‘The spaces of the LGBTQIA+ community, in Rome and in every other city, must remain cultural garrisons, where everyone knows they can feel free and safe’