He showed up at the police station last night, accompanied by a friend in his car. Investigators questioned him until 3 a.m. , primarily to determine whether it was actually a kidnapping.

The sudden kidnapping – which lasted just 24 hours – of a 17-year-old boy in Vittoria , in the Ragusa area, is still a mystery.

At a press conference, Ragusa prosecutor Francesco Puleio ruled out kidnapping for ransom: "There was no request for money from the family and the boy was treated well," he said, referring to a case with "many aspects still to be clarified."

He explained that the young man, according to his version, was released by the bandits into the street and met a friend, whom he asked to accompany him to the police station . The magistrate declined to say where the 17-year-old was released or where he "coincidentally" met the other boy.

"It was necessary to meet with the press because the incident has caused considerable alarm among the public," the prosecutor explained. All avenues for the kidnapping, except for ransom, are open: from intimidation of the family (although there are no known precedents), to entrepreneurs in the fruit and vegetable sector, to the actions of individuals linked to the drug world .

The 17-year-old said the four kidnappers didn't hood him or beat him. They all had Vittoria accents and remained hooded throughout the entire kidnapping. He was given food and allowed to sleep for about half an hour . The place where he was held captive was in the Vittoria countryside . After his release, however, he had to walk 20 minutes to reach the street where he met his friend.

According to the boy's lawyer, the story suggests that the prison where the 17-year-old was held was a short distance from the city center. The 17-year-old's account, according to the lawyer, suggests the actions of four thugs who, given the reaction of law enforcement, who immediately began a search, later abandoned their plan and released the victim.

The magistrates are verifying the boy's statements. They are also examining the footage from the security cameras that filmed the bandits . According to the lawyers for the young man's family, the physiognomies of two of them are quite clear. Zooming in on the frames reveals two men: one thin, the other robust, with his face covered.

The father

"They treated him well, they didn't threaten him, they gave him something to drink and a sandwich to eat. But my son wasn't hungry; he ate little and drank a lot. He was very scared and tense. It was a nightmare, for him and for all of us. Luckily, it ended well," said the 17-year-old's father .

"He doesn't know where they took him. He was hooded and couldn't see the route. They led him into a house, and he was left alone in a room. The men who came to him were always hooded. It was probably a country house. There were no sounds. He did, however, hear the sound of helicopters flying over the area."

"At a certain point during the day," the parent explained, "they took him out, loaded him into the car, and drove off. They left him on the street outside the town of Vittoria, perhaps a couple of kilometers away. He walked quite a bit to the town, then met some people who loaded him into the car and drove him to the police station."

(Unioneonline/L)

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