Giuseppe Di Donato, 42, originally from Italy, was walking home from dinner with a friend when a group of around seven boys allegedly started laying into him.
Giuseppe was left in pain and had to go to hospital as a result of the incident(Image: EdinburghLive)
A man has told of the horrifying moment he was allegedly “beaten up” and told to “go home” by a gang of youths while walking home in Edinburgh.
Giuseppe Di Donato, 42, originally from Italy, was walking between Bruntsfield Place and Bruntsfield Terrace on October 11 around 8pm after dinner with a friend when around seven teens accosted him in the street.
He said he was listening to music on his phone when one of the youngsters thundered towards him before another swung for him. Giuseppe said the group made no effort to cover their faces during the alleged assault.
He said the gang, who were dressed in sportswear, then threw him to the ground before starting to kick him repeatedly. As the group went to leave, one member allegedly told him to “f*** **f” before adding “go home”.
Giuseppe, who works at Edinburgh Napier University, was helped by a group of women who happened to be passing at the time. Together they phoned the police who rushed to the scene, reports Edinburgh Live.
Giuseppe said: “I was on my way back from having food with a friend and, luckily, she wasn’t with me at the time it happened.
“I was just listening to music and minding my own business. Two members of the group started running towards me and one of them raised his hand ready to hit me.
“They all started to surround me and started a fight. One of them jumped onto me and I was pushed to the ground. They started to kick me before they all left and one said ‘f*** **f’ and ‘go home’.”
“There were four ladies who passed and they helped me and called the police. What struck me about all of this was not only that they attacked me unprovoked, but that they did not even bother to cover their face.”
Giuseppe said more needs to be done to stop similar attacks from happening. Meanwhile, he is desperate for answers.
He went on: “I was in so much pain. I just felt really small and intimidated and I had a bruise on my eye. The pain carried on for a few days and I decided to go to the hospital.
“I feel surprised, sad and angry that situations like these are happening because it was totally uncalled for. I don’t think they were specifically targeting me but I do think they wanted to harm someone.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 8.35pm on Saturday, 11 October, 2025, we were called to a report of an assault on Bruntsfield Place in Edinburgh.
“There have been no arrests or charges in connection. Any further information received about the incident will be fully investigated.”