Six arrested for the beating that left an Italian tourist in a coma in Barcelona

The Mossos d'Esquadra have arrested six people for the assault that left Nicola Maggiotto, a 21-year-old Italian, in a coma on the night of August 12 in the Port Fòrum of Barcelona. Four arrests took place on September 30 and two more on October 7.

The Investigation Unit of the Badalona police station of the Mossos d'Esquadra has arrested six people for their alleged involvement in the assault that left an Italian tourist in a coma in Barcelona. The arrests were made in two waves: on September 30, four adults were detained, and on October 7, two minors were arrested.

According to the Catalan police, the six were part of the group that attacked the young Italians on the night of August 12 in the area of Port Fòrum. The investigation is still ongoing, and further arrests are not ruled out.

The victim, Nicola Maggiotto, aged 21, was on holiday in Barcelona with his friends. At around 22:00, as they were heading to a nearby taxi rank from the nightclub, a group of approximately twelve people confronted them. Maggiotto received a hard punch to the back of the neck that left him unconscious.

His friend Giuseppe Siben has told the Italian press that the assailants continued to beat Nicola while he was on the ground. When attempting to help him, Giuseppe also received several blows that caused minor injuries to his cheekbone.

“The attackers continued to kick and punch him while he was already on the ground,” Giuseppe Siben explained to Italian media.

The Mossos received the alert about the assault at around 22:25. By the time emergency services arrived, the alleged assailants had already fled. Nicola was taken to the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, where doctors induced a coma due to the severity of his injuries, which put his life at risk.

For weeks, his condition raised significant concern. His parents traveled to Barcelona to be with him, and his father filed a complaint. Currently, Nicola is out of danger, according to sources close to the case.

The arrest of the six involved, four adults and two minors, marks a breakthrough in the investigation of an assault that shocked the Italian community in Barcelona. The detainees have been placed at the disposal of the judiciary, and more details about their legal situation are expected to emerge in the coming days.