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Five Star founder Beppe Grillo’s son investigated in gang rape case

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Five Star founder Beppe Grillo’s son investigated in gang rape case
The rape allegedly took place at the family's villa in Sardinia. Photo: Depositphotos

The son of the comedian and activist Beppe Grillo has been accused of raping a 19-year-old Scandinavian woman at his father's villa.

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The son of Italian stand-up comedian and Eurosceptic political campaigner Beppe Grillo, who founded the Five Star Movement (M5S) political party, is being investigated along with three friends for gang rape, Italian media reported on Friday.

Ciro Grillo, 19, and three friends are accused of raping a 19-year-old woman, described as a “Scandinavian model”, at his father's summer villa in Sardinia’s Costa Smerelda after night out in a disco, La Stampa reported.

The four men, reportedly “the children of Genoan entrepreneurs, doctors and professionals”, insist the sexual relations were consensual, the report said, adding that a video of the incident found on one of their phones was not considered as conclusive evidence.

The M5S is part of Italy's governing coalition and the rape investigation coincides with a return to front-line politics for Beppe Grillo after pushing for the party he founded to join forces with the centre-left.

Five Star Movement founder Beppe Grillo. Photo: AFP

The party was born on Genoa-born founder Beppe Grillo's personal blog, but ahead of elections in 2018 the comedian formally separated his personal site from the party and its backers.

Beppe Grillo has also become notorious in Italy for his controversial statements and blog posts, including one reportedly mocking warnings that Genoa's Morandi bridge could collapse.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Italy's Five Star Movement

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