Italian police raid circus of horrors

A CIRCUS of horrors has been discovered in Salerno, south of Naples, in a daring raid by the carabinieri — saving a teen who was forced to swim with flesh-eating piranhas for the amusement of onlookers.

A family of Bulgarians was among those rescued from a life of servitude and inhumane treatment.

Police arrested the three owners of Circus “Marino”, Enrico Ingrassia, and his 33-year-old-son, William, together with his 25-year-old son-in-law, Gaetano Belfiore.

Three further suspects were charged for violations of the international treaty for human rights.

Two Bulgarian teenage girls and their parents were freed when a concerned audience member made a tip-off to the police, after witnessing a particularly violent performance.

The 19-year-old daughter had been forced to lie in a tank full of icy water and flesh-eating piranhas to entertain audiences.

According to police reports, the girl had suffered aural tumours and had undergone two significant surgeries to resolve the problem.

Following the operations, however, she developed a severe fear of cold water and this, coupled with her dread of the piranha, led her to resist Ingrassia’s instructions to stay in the tank.

After defying her boss on one occasion, Ingrassia violently pushed her head under the water. It was this particular act of cruelty that led to a horrified spectator making the tip-off to police.

The younger sister’s act involved lying in a pit while she was covered with various reptiles, and tarantulas.

During one performance she was bitten by a snake, with whom she shared the stage.

The anti-mafia public prosecutor for Salerno, Mariella De Masellis, who was behind the investigation, said yesterday: “These poor children were forced into slavery for the circus.”

It appears that the Bulgarian family had been recruited to work in the circus by an intermediary and had been promised good living conditions and €480 a week.

Instead, they were treated like slaves and obliged to work between 16 and 20 hours a day for €100 a week.

While the young girls were performing their perilous acts, the mother took care of the cooking and cleaning for the whole circus and the father erected and dismantled the tent and looked after the animals.

Living conditions for the family were described as dire. The four were forced to live in squalid trailers among filth and cockroaches, according to investigators.