Rosi, and other abused cats in Rome

Date published: July 29, 2026

The case of Rosi

In Italy, cat colonies are legally protected, managed by humane and cat-friendly policies, and many cats are well-known to and beloved by locals. The recent abuse cases in Rome therefore are particularly shocking and infuriating, because they were completely unforeseen and unexpected. The victim of the most widely known abuse incident is a female cat named Rosi, but she was not the only victim of violence.

On March 23, 2026, in the Tor Tre Teste area of Rome, a female community cat named Rosi was found in severely injured condition. She was taken to a veterinary clinic. According to the veterinarians who examined her, the genital injury was consistent with sexual violence, likely caused by injury to the area with some object – the exact cause hasn’t been determined yet. Rosi was in critical condition for around two weeks. She needed blood transfusions because she developed a septic infection, and it was uncertain whether she would survive.

Reactions and further developments

Her case sparked outrage all over Italy and beyond: the animal welfare organizations ENPA, LNDC, and Rome’s Councillor and Delegate for Environment, Ecological Transition, and Animal Welfare, Rocco Ferraro, filed complaints and reports with the authorities soon after Rosi was found, and a police investigation was started with the goal of finding the suspected perpetrator.

A protest was held on April 3, 2026, organized and supported by various animal welfare organizations in a park in Tor Tre Teste, close to where Rosi was found, with a turnout of over 800 people. Two politicians also attended: AVS deputy Francesco Emilio Borrelli and PD deputy Patrizia Prestipino, Rome’s first guarantor of animals. The most important demands of the protesters were to identify the perpetrator, conduct serious investigations, and treat the case as part of a broader pattern of cruelty to animals.

The case and the protest were extensively covered, and in Italy, Rosi became a symbol against animal cruelty. Thanks to the conscientious efforts of the veterinarians, Rosi managed to survive and gradually got better. She was adopted by an animal welfare advocate and left the veterinary clinic on April 24, 2026. While she still needed medical follow-up, she quickly got used to her new home. The Facebook page of LNDC Animal Protection gives occasional updates about Rosi, her condition is reportedly continuously improving.

The perpetrator is still unidentified, and there are no significant updates about the investigation. If found, the perpetrator could be charged for animal cruelty, which according to current Italian laws would be imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years and a fine from €5000 to €30,000.

Other Recent Cat Abuse Cases in Rome

On April 14, 2026, in a parliamentary intervention, Patrizia Prestipino spoke about the case of Rosi among four other recent cat abuse incidents that were less extensively covered in Italian media. She mentioned the following cases:

• Cesare, a cat violently kicked on January 27, 2026, at Colleferro station, who died two weeks later because of the injuries. The perpetrator was later identified.
• Elettra, who was brutally beaten by a group of people, possibly minors, in the summer of 2025. She died after about 8 months of treatment and suffering;
• Signorina [not mentioned by name], a beloved cat living in the historic center of Cerveteri, a small town close to Rome, was found agonizing under a car after being brutally kicked, and tragically died of her injuries. The case was reported on March 26, 2026;
• Odino, a victim of cruel abuse: a family cat living in Acilia, Rome, who used to move freely around in the apartment building, was found on April 10, 2026, in a seriously injured condition. One of his ears was burned, and he had such serious hind leg injuries that his paws had to be amputated. He survived the abuse.

Prestipino argued that this is a terrible escalation of violence against cats, and that violence against animals is an indicator of social danger. She emphasized the necessity of combating this violence, which requires a network of protection made up of institutions, associations, citizens, and activists. She also said witnesses should report what they know, that the people responsible for abuse must be identified, and that penalties should be severe and actually applied. Finally, she criticized the existing laws as too lenient and not fully enforced, attitudes that are dismissive towards animal cruelty, and demanded punishment for the perpetrators.

Wider Concerns and Public Safety

Besides these verified and publicized abuse incidents, local reports mention further concerning observations: some cats allegedly disappeared, and two were found dead in the community of cats to which Rosi belonged. Reports talking about Odino mention cats returning to their homes covered in oil.

While these cases are not known to be connected to animal abuse networks, the influence of online animal abuse content on violent behavior cannot be ruled out, especially in sadistic cases. Therefore, abuse perpetrators, if identified, should be investigated for their online activities, whether they engaged with animal abuse content, and whether they were in contact with animal abuse groups.

Sources

Rosi

– Alessia Rabbai, Fanpage.it Roma, “Abusi sessuali su una gattina al Parco di Tor Tre Teste a Roma: trovata in condizioni gravissime” [Sexual abuse of a kitten at Tor Tre Teste Park in Rome: found in very serious condition], March 23, 2026.

– Beatrice Tominic, Fanpage.it Roma, “Non solo la gattina Rosi abusata a Tor Tre Teste: nella stessa zona di Roma scomparsi altri randagi” [Not only Rosi, the kitten abused at Tor Tre Teste: other strays have disappeared in the same area of Rome], March 30, 2026.

– Simona Berterame, Fanpage.it Roma, “Roma, il quartiere Tor Tre Teste scende in piazza per la gattina abusata Rosi: ‘Non restiamo in silenzio’” [Rome: the Tor Tre Teste neighbourhood takes to the streets for abused kitten Rosi: “We will not stay silent”], April 3, 2026.

– Alessia Rabbai, Fanpage.it Roma, “La gattina Rosi stuprata a Tor Tre Teste è stata dimessa: è a casa con la sua nuova famiglia” [Rosi, the kitten sexually abused at Tor Tre Teste, has been discharged: she is at home with her new family], April 24, 2026.

– RadioBau, “La gattina Rosi ha una nuova vita” [Kitten Rosi has a new life], May 5, 2026.

– LNDC Animal Protection, “Oggi Rosi mangia, cammina, esplora e ha ritrovato tanta forza” [Today Rosi eats, walks, explores, and has regained much of her strength], Facebook Reel, July 21, 2026.

Italy / parliamentary source:

– Camera dei deputati, XIX Legislatura, “Resoconto stenografico dell’Assemblea, seduta n. 643 di martedì 14 aprile 2026” [Chamber of Deputies, stenographic record of sitting no. 643, Tuesday, April 14, 2026], April 14, 2026. Intervention by Patrizia Prestipino on violence against cats in Rome, including Cesare, Elettra, Signorina, Rosi, and Odino.

Further cases

Cesare:

– ANSA Lazio, “Ha preso a calci e ucciso il gatto mascotte dei pendolari, denunciato” [He kicked and killed the cat mascot of commuters; suspect reported], March 5, 2026.

Elettra:

– Alessia Rabbai, Fanpage.it Roma, “Non solo Rosi: la gattina Elettra colpita come un pallone a Roma, morta dopo 8 mesi d’agonia” [Not only Rosi: kitten Elettra, hit like a ball in Rome, died after eight months of agony], March 27, 2026.

Signorina:

– LNDC Animal Protection, “Gattina ‘Signorina’ uccisa a calci nel centro storico di Cerveteri (RM): LNDC Animal Protection presenta denuncia e chiede ai cittadini di aiutare a identificare i responsabili” [Kitten “Signorina” kicked to death in the historic centre of Cerveteri, Rome province: LNDC Animal Protection files complaint and asks citizens to help identify those responsible], March 26, 2026.

Odino:

– Alessia Rabbai, Fanpage.it Roma, “Il gatto Odino maltrattato con orecchio bruciato e zampe legate strette: hanno dovuto amputarle” [Cat Odino abused, with burned ear and tightly bound paws: they had to amputate them], April 12, 2026.