23-Year-Old African Migrant Facing Deportation From Italy Kills Self

An illegal migrant from Guinea who survived a brutal assault earlier this month but faced deportation from Italy has killed himself, his lawyer said on Monday.

Mosua Balde, 23, was attacked by three men on May 9 in Ventimiglia, a seaside town near the French border, while reportedly begging near a supermarket.

The incident caused nationwide consternation, as footage of the beating was posted on the internet and widely shared on social media.

The next day, police identified the three assailants, reporting them for prosecution but stopping short of arresting them, and also acted against Balde.

After being treated in hospital, the migrant was given an expulsion order and taken to a detention centre in Turin, as he was found to have no legal residency papers.

“It all happened in less than 24 hours,” his lawyer Gianluca Vitale told AFP.