A Messina lawyer is hospitalized in intensive care after a female client threw caustic acid on him during an attack. The 58-year-old victim suffered severe burns across roughly 20 percent of his body before being transferred to a specialized burn unit in Catania, while local carabinieri investigate the incident.
The Attack and Emergency Response in Messina
The violent encounter unfolded when a female client visited the victim, identified as 58-year-old attorney Pierfrancesco Broccio, at a location in Santo Stefano Medio according to local reporting. The assailant requested a glass of water before suddenly throwing a caustic liquid directly at him as detailed in an interview.
The corrosive substance struck the lower part of his face, neck, chest, abdomen, and various other areas as noted by regional coverage. Wearing eyeglasses prevented the acid from reaching his eyes directly the victim recounted. Following the assault, the lawyer managed to lock himself inside his car, drove to his office with his clothing completely burned by the chemical, and was subsequently rushed to the emergency room at the Policlinico Gaetano Martino in Messina.
Transfer to the Catania Burn Unit and Medical Status
Specialists at the facility’s dedicated Grandi Ustioni burn center treated him for deep chemical burns covering approximately 20 percent of his body according to wire updates from ANSA.
He remains admitted to the intensive care unit with a reserved medical prognosis publishers confirmed.
The Victim’s Account and Ongoing Police Investigation
Pierfrancesco Broccio stated that the attacker was a client of his who had mental health issues, noting that she had spent years in the judicial psychiatric hospital in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, but added that he never thought she could go this far, according to Gazzettadelsud.
Regarding a possible motive, the lawyer noted that an earlier disagreement arose when he urged her to tell the truth regarding an incident where she had accused another person according to his statement. Carabinieri from the provincial command in Messina alongside local police units are actively verifying the victim’s account and searching for the fleeing woman.