CCTV footage shows a stranger trying to snatch a toddler from her mother in an Italian supermarket.
The man lunged at the 18-month-old girl as she and her parents left a shop in Bergamo, in the north of the country.
Surveillance video captured the moment when the middle-aged man suddenly bent down and picked up the child.
The mother fought hard and used all her strength to hold her daughter.
In the ensuing confrontation, the little girl’s femur was broken when the man pulled the child towards him.
The girl’s father and passers-by also came to her aid.
The man continues to pull the child away from the mother – X.com
The alleged kidnapper, a 47-year-old homeless Romanian man, was restrained by a security guard and later arrested by police and remanded in custody.
He was charged with aggravated kidnapping of a child under 14 and aggravated assault.
Police said his motive for trying to grab the child was unclear. He has no criminal record.
He will be questioned by prosecutors on Tuesday. The child was treated at the hospital and is currently recovering at home with his parents.
“The survival instinct kicked in,” the father of the toddler, named Matteo, told Italian television. “It’s scary to see your daughter in danger. The reaction is immediate. You don’t think, you just act.”
He said his daughter sat in a trolley when they went shopping but later tried to walk.
“I handed her over to my partner and I pushed the trolley. It all happened in less than a second. It’s not what you expect, especially because the supermarket was packed with people.
“I must thank all the supermarket staff who intervened and the police who arrived very quickly. My daughter is fine and although she has to wear a cast she is still playing.”
Senior police officer Marco Cadeddu said this was a very serious incident. “We arrested the man, took him to the police station and took care of the child, who was taken to hospital. The outcome could have been much worse.”
Bergamo mayor Elena Carnevali expressed solidarity with the “horrible experience” the parents have endured.
Try full access to The Telegraph for free now. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus helpful tools and expert guidance on your money, health and holidays.