This is the horrific moment a gay couple were whipped with a belt and assaulted by a gang of four after they were spotted walking hand in hand.
Mattia and Antonio (false names provided by local media) were attacked at 4am over the weekend after an LGBT+ event in Rome.
Chilling footage captured the incident in which two men crossed the street holding hands before two men and a woman in lingerie and knee-high boots began their assault.
The two male attackers, dressed in T-shirts and shorts, could be seen following the pair for a moment before one of them, who was wearing a white T-shirt, raised his leg and kicked them as they shouted homophobic slurs and called them “f******”.
The couple, seemingly bewildered by the violence, attempt to retaliate, but are outnumbered when the scantily clad woman begins to intervene.
Footage captured the moment a gay couple (dressed in black and white) were attacked as they walked hand in hand at 4am through the streets of Rome 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 with a belt in their hand as they whip the gay man in black after he was knocked to the ground.
The female attacker and her friend (in blue) kicked the gay men (dressed in black and white) to the ground in the middle of the street as cars drove by.
The attacking pair continue to hit the couple hard, who can be seen with their arms raised above their heads as they try to protect themselves.
She runs towards the pair before pushing one of the men away, throwing punches as they try to fight back while simultaneously backing away.
The two male attackers get back into the fight after one of them hits one of the men in the couple in the head, causing him to fall to the ground next to a lamppost.
Within seconds, the woman, who appears to be returning from a strip club, grabs him and continues beating him while her two friends confront the other man in the couple.
One of the attackers then removes 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 blows, he tries to protect his face with his arms as the cruel man continues to beat him.
After a few seconds of violent whipping on his arms, back and stomach, the two attackers begin to hit him on the head after putting him in a headlock while he remains lying on the ground.
The man’s boyfriend appears to break free from the woman’s grasp across the street as he runs and lands a hard punch to the head of his partner’s attacker.
The woman in a thong and bra is quick to begin her attack again as she grabs one of the men and slaps him across the head before kicking him as he tried to get up.
Once one of the gay men broke free from his attackers, he was dragged to join his boyfriend (dressed in black) on the street, where they continued to be assaulted.
The two men and the woman dragged the gay couple (black and white on the ground) from the sidewalk to the street to continue the beating.
When the gay man (in black) tried to get up, his attackers knocked him down.
As cars drive past, the couple lie on the ground of the road before three members of the public finally offer their help to the victims.
According to the Gay Center, which uploaded the horror footage to YouTube, the couple ended up in the emergency room after the attack.
They allegedly did not report the incident to the police, but told the Italian helpline: “We can no longer accept living in a society where violence, such as that we suffer, remains a sad reality.
‘We are tired of being afraid to walk hand in hand, of constantly looking over our shoulders, of living with the constant anxiety of being victims of senseless acts.
Even if we are not professional activists, we cannot remain silent in the face of such brutality.
‘In addition to the physical pain of the beating, we were deeply hurt by the indifference of those who witnessed the scene.
‘Instead of intervening to help us, these people preferred to film what happened and post it on social media, mocking our pain.
‘When we reviewed the video, we were shocked by the ferocity with which we were attacked, with no one fearing the serious consequences that such an act could have.’
Eventually, bystanders 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 broken up by several spectators, who had initially stayed behind to film the gay couple without helping them.
Alessandra Rossi, coordinator of the gay helpline, said: ‘What happened to the two boys leaves us shocked and worried.
‘In recent months, Gay Help Line has already recorded an increase in reports of microaggressions occurring in LGBTQIA+ community venues.
“There is concern, but also the power that comes from indignation. The culture of hate cannot and should not be transferred to places of coexistence and leisure.
“We need greater attention from institutions to recognize specific protections for those who are victims of this crime.”
Alessandro Cataldi, Head of Legal Affairs at Gay Help Line, added: ‘Gay Help Line is at Mattia and Antonio’s side on the path to legal protection.
‘Places for the LGBTQIA+ community, in Rome and in every city, must remain places of culture, where every person knows they can feel free and safe’
