Dance school sex attack allegation: Rescuer says girl was the hero
Nicola “Nick” Gilio, who was stabbed while allegedly saving a seven-year-old girl from a horrifying sex attack, says the child is the real hero. Police are investigating the incident in which it is understood the girl was with a naked man in a toilet for half an hour.
A man stabbed while allegedly saving a seven-year-old girl from a horrifying sex attack says the child is the real hero.
Nicola “Nick” Gilio, 46, yesterday spoke for the first time after being hailed for coming to the rescue, along with hero dentist Jeffrey Stack, 59, an amateur boxer who rushed into the bathroom, punching the alleged offender in the head and knocking him out.
“The little girl is the hero — the mum was also involved and the dentist was there, too,” Mr Gilio said.
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“The little girl, she is the hero for the minutes she endured before I got there.”
Mr Gilio, yesterday recovering at home in Sydney’s south, said he wouldn’t reveal further details because police had asked him not to speak.
“We want to make sure this prick gets done,” he said.
It is understood the child was in the bathroom for up to 30 minutes with the naked man before her rescue.
Mr Gilio was watching his daughter in class at the St George Dance Studio on Thursday night when another mother noticed her child was missing.
He went into the male toilets about 7:55pm and allegedly found the terrified young girl being sexually assaulted by a naked man whom police will claim was Anthony Sampieri, 54.
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Mr Gilio began fighting with the man, who allegedly stabbed him in the neck and abdomen before the loud commotion drew others into the bathroom, off a hallway near the studio.
Witnesses helped restrain the man while Mr Gilio was helped outside onto the footpath and bystanders pressed kitchen wipes on his wounds to stem bleeding.
He was able to give police a description of his attacker. Sampieri was later arrested and taken to St George Hospital with facial injuries.
Sampieri, 54, remains under police guard in hospital, but has not been charged.
At the same time Jeffrey Stack, a dentist from the neighbouring Denture and Dental Studio Laboratory, came to Mr Gilio’s aid and punched Sampieri in the head, knocking him out.
“Boxing was his passion at university — he was a good boxer and I’m glad it’s come in handy,” his ex-wife Marie Stack said yesterday.
“He has always been good to children and animals and he would never stand by while someone was getting hurt,” Ms Stack said.
“Jeffrey is an upstanding citizen and I am glad he was there to help, for the little girl’s sake.”
Dr Stack’s mother, Gloria Stack, said: “Jeffrey is a wonderful man and a wonderful son; I couldn’t praise him more as a son.”
Detectives interviewed the victim for the first time on Saturday and a police source said her account left investigators shaken.
“What actually happens between her leaving and her being found and what we have thus far, it’s pretty bad,” the source said.
It is estimated the victim was in the toilet with Sampieri for up to half an hour before she was found.
Police have labelled the disturbing incident “random and isolated” and stressed the offender had no links to the dance studio.
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