An Italian police operation in Rome culminated in the arrest of a 75-year-old Cuban national accused of sexual acts involving a minor, according to local law enforcement reports released in September 2026. Investigators stated that the suspect, who shared a residence with the victim’s family in the Santa Palomba district, faces grave charges under Article 609-quater of the Italian Penal Code.
Emergency Calls Trigger Police Intervention in Rome Suburb
The intervention unfolded after neighbors in a Santa Palomba apartment building heard the desperate screams of the victim’s mother and immediately dialed the 112 emergency number, according to police reports.
Inside the Shared Residence and Neighborhood Response
The mother had moved into the 75-year-old man’s home alongside her daughters just weeks prior to the incident. Officers from the VIII Distretto Tor Carbone responded swiftly to secure the scene, gather initial accounts, and separate the parties involved.
According to investigators, the young victim confided in her mother about the abuse. Subsequent witness statements provided to law enforcement indicated that the assaults were not isolated to a single day but allegedly occurred across multiple preceding dates.
Medical Evaluation and Specialized Child Care
Following the initial interviews, authorities transferred the child to a hospital for medical examinations and specialized care.
Immigration Status and Transfer to Rebibbia Prison
Following the police intervention, officers transported the suspect to the Marino commissariat for identification and background checks. Investigative files revealed that the man was already subject to an expulsion order, having been identified as irregular on national territory under Italian immigration rules. Police subsequently subjected him to a formal detention order as a suspected offender before transferring him to Rebibbia prison.
Judicial Validation and Pretrial Custody Orders
The preliminary investigations judge, the GIP, subsequently upheld the prosecutors’ request and validated the judicial police’s actions. The court ordered pretrial custody in prison for the suspect, citing the severity of the preliminary evidence regarding alleged sexual acts with a minor under Article 609-quater of the Italian Penal Code.
