ITALY
The Local

Three men have been arrested in Turin for raping an underage girl under the pretext of carrying out sacred rites, local police said on Tuesday.

Sixty-nine-year-old Paolo Meraglia, who claimed to be a sorcerer, abused the girl for months.

The victim’s boyfriend at the time, a 19-year-old; his mother; and a 73-year-old friend of Meraglia also took part in the abuse, police said in a statement.

Officers on Monday arrested the three men for gang rape, aggravated by the use of sedatives and the fact their victim was a minor. Police did not say whether the mother of the girl’s ex-boyfriend would face charges.