A Romanian man in Italy was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison after forcing his underage girlfriend into prostitution

A 38-year-old Romanian man residing in Vicenza was sentenced to 6 years and 10 months in prison for forcing his underage girlfriend into prostitution to pay off a debt. The Vicenza Tribunal also fined him 18,000 euros and ordered him to pay the victim 8,000 euros in compensation.

The events took place in Vicenza between June and November 2015, as well as around January 12, 2016. The teenager was 16 and had met the man after running away from home. According to investigators, he induced her to have sexual relations with a man to whom he owed money. The girl allegedly met the man at least three times, and the sums she received, between 30 and 40 euros, were deducted from the debt.

The Romanian man was also found guilty of sending an acquaintance a sexually explicit photograph featuring the teenager. The image was later published on Facebook.

The initial sentence, handed down in 2020, provided for 6 years and 6 months in prison, but it was annulled in 2025 after the Venice Court of Appeal found that the defendant had been tried in absentia without the legal conditions being met. Following the retrial, the victim, who now lives in another region of Italy, joined the proceedings as a civil claimant and reported the man.