In recent years, several judicial proceedings in Italy and across Europe have brought renewed attention to the use of sedative substances such as benzodiazepines, GHB, or other sedative medications administered to victims without their knowledge in order to reduce their ability to react and commit sexual assault.

In common language, these substances are often referred to as the “date rape drug,” a journalistic expression that does not identify a single molecule but rather a group of substances which, when administered without consent, can cause sedation, amnesia, loss of clarity, and an inability to defend oneself.

These crimes are often particularly insidious due to factors such as:

the administration of the substance through drinks or food
the rapid dispersion of the substances in the body, which can make medical and forensic verification difficult
the altered or fragmented perception of memories experienced by victims

Judicial findings show that, in confirmed cases, investigations rely on a combination of elements such as toxicological reports, witness statements, digital material, forensic analysis of devices, as well as the victims’ own accounts.

To better understand the context and risks, two recent judicial cases are presented below. One has been concluded with a conviction confirmed on appeal, while the other is still under investigation. Together, they illustrate how such substances may be used in criminal contexts.

Case 1: Ubaldo Manuali, conviction confirmed for assaults following drugging

Ubaldo Manuali, conviction confirmed: he drugged, raped, and filmed his victims. Nine years and ten months in prison.

The assaults took place after the victims were drugged and were recorded without their knowledge.

Ubaldo Manuali, 60 years old, lived in Riano, near Rome. A waste collection worker, separated and father of a daughter, he outwardly led an apparently ordinary life. A lover of football, cinema, and animals, he presented himself on social media as a reliable and calm person, “like many others.”

Manuali often emphasized, even online, an alleged resemblance to actor Keanu Reeves, a detail which led the media to nickname him “the Keanu Reeves of Riano.”

In September 2023, Manuali was arrested on charges of aggravated sexual assault against three women, after drugging and filming them. On December 10, 2025, the Court of Appeal of Rome confirmed the sentence of nine years and ten months in prison, previously imposed by the Court of Viterbo in the first instance.

Between September 2022 and January 2023, according to findings established by the judiciary, Manuali raped at least three women after drugging them, recording the assaults with his phone and sharing photos and videos in private chats with friends.

The victims were met online, mainly through Facebook. Manuali built gradual relationships based on messages, phone calls, and dinner invitations. Once trust had been established, he would invite the women to his home or visit them in their homes. There, according to the accusations, he administered sedatives in drinks or wine, taking advantage of their unconscious state to abuse them.

Several victims reported remembering nothing of what happened until the following day, an element consistent with drugging, later also confirmed from a medical perspective.

The incidents took place in various locations in the Lazio region, including Rome, Riano, and Capranica, in the Viterbo area.

In the early stages of the investigation, further reports emerged and possible additional cases were discussed, although the main trial concerned only three episodes. Some informal reports are believed to have surfaced over time but were never formalized before the investigation began.

Stefania Loizzi: the complaint that brought the case to light

The judicial proceedings began following the complaint filed by Stefania Loizzi, one of the three confirmed victims.

On October 14, 2024, the first-instance ruling was issued: nine years and ten months in prison.

On December 10, 2025, the Court of Appeal of Rome fully confirmed the conviction handed down in the first instance, reaffirming the sentence of nine years and ten months. The defense announced an appeal to the Supreme Court.

At the same time, some media outlets reported the existence of an additional investigative line in Rome, linked to a fourth alleged victim and facts dating further back in time. However, the judicial core of the case remains that relating to the three confirmed and already adjudicated episodes.

Case 2: Riccardo Vannucchi, ongoing investigation for alleged administration of benzodiazepines

Riccardo Vannucchi, 59 years old, owner of a bar, is under investigation on charges of having drugged and raped a 24-year-old employee who had been hired only a few days earlier on a trial basis.

According to the investigators’ reconstruction, the man allegedly convinced the young woman to stay beyond her scheduled working hours and, on that occasion, offered her a soup in which the presence of benzodiazepines was later detected, substances sometimes used to incapacitate victims.

The alleged assault is believed to have taken place while the woman was in a condition where she was unable to react. Part of the episode appears to have been recorded by the bar’s security cameras. The footage has been acquired by investigators and will be examined.

The 24-year-old reported waking up in a camper belonging to the man, wearing different clothes. Once admitted to hospital, doctors reportedly did not find evident injuries compatible with sexual assault, while toxicological tests detected the presence of benzodiazepines.

Investigators are currently assessing whether other episodes may be connected to the same context. The investigation is ongoing. The man is currently being held and denies all accusations. Any criminal responsibility will be determined in the appropriate judicial venues.

Conclusion

The two cases show how the use of sedative substances for the purpose of sexual assault represents a form of planned and often serial violence, exploiting trust, vulnerability, and the victims’ inability to react.

The judicial response involves complex investigations, medical and forensic support, the collection of digital material, and above all the courage of the victims who come forward and report the crimes.

The Case

It was February 14, 2009. For two Roman teenagers, it was supposed to be nothing more than a romantic walk hand in hand through Caffarella Park, not far from the center of Rome.

She was 14 years old, he was 16. A young relationship, made of small gestures and adolescent dreams. But that evening, their lives were shattered forever. Two men approached. In seconds, normality turned into horror.

The boy was beaten, immobilized, and forced to watch.
The girl endured brutal, prolonged violence.

There was no chance to fight back, no way to escape. In the end, both managed to drag themselves out of the park and seek help at a nearby bar. What rescuers saw was devastating: a girl crying, hurt, and broken; a boy bloodied and powerless.

Police quickly identified the perpetrators: two Romanian nationals, Karol Racz (nicknamed the blond) and Alexandru Isztoika Loyos, both already known for violent behavior.

They were arrested and convicted: Loyos received 11 years and 4 months, Racz 9 years and 6 months. For many, the sentences felt far too lenient compared to the brutality of the crime.

But this story is not only about criminals.
It is about two teenagers who simply wanted to live a normal love story.

The girl was protected: newspapers used pseudonyms, her identity shielded. Still, the trauma remained permanent.
The boyfriend did not suffer “just” beatings. He was forced to watch, powerless. His punishment was memory: eyes open on the worst of nightmares. He too was granted compensation for moral and psychological damages.

Psychological Analysis of the Attackers

In cases like the Caffarella assault, sexual violence is not driven by desire. It is driven by power.

The two attackers weren’t looking for intimacy or pleasure. They wanted to dominate, humiliate, and completely control their victims.

Forcing the boyfriend to watch was a deliberate psychological weapon: a way to destroy his sense of agency and deepen the girl’s suffering.

This behavior reflects three key psychological dynamics:
Their goal was to establish total control. Making the boy watch turned the assault into a ritual of humiliation, reinforcing a sense of superiority.
The attackers derived satisfaction not from the act itself, but from the victims’ fear, pain, and helplessness. It is a form of instrumental sadism, where suffering becomes a source of emotional or psychological excitement.
To commit such violence, the perpetrators mentally reduced the teenagers to objects. This “empathy shutdown” is typical in offenders with antisocial traits, histories of violence, and chronic feelings of failure or insignificance.
they weren’t seeking sex; they were seeking power.
The violence was a tool to feel dominant, strong, and in control for a few minutes in a life otherwise defined by frustration and emptiness.

Conclusion

The Caffarella assault was not only a crime story. It was a collective trauma.
Because that night, it wasn’t just a girl who was violated: it was the very innocence of two adolescents, and with them the trust of an entire city.
Rome did not easily forget. And even today, years later, that Valentine’s Day remains one of the darkest symbols of blind, inhuman violence capable of destroying lives and dreams.

Years have passed.
Maybe those two teenagers are doing better now, maybe they’ve rebuilt their lives.

It’s very possible that the attackers are free today, but that doesn’t change what truly matters.

All we can hope for is that those two are happy, that they chase their dreams, and that they see this event not as something that defines them, but as something they survived. Because it could have happened to anyone.

Remember, friends: anyone who goes through something like this and keeps walking forward is a strong person.
They are no longer a victim.
They are a survivor.
And that is real strength.