Michael Johnson, 86, was injured when he was struck by a cyclist while on tour with a travel group in Italy.
The family of an elderly New Zealand man says their father has had to fend for himself after allegedly being attacked and robbed while on a luxury seniors tour in Italy.
Now his children are
calling for a formal apology and better processes from the tour company he travelled with – Operatunity Travel Tours, which offers international music travel tours for retirees.
Susan Johnson said her father, 86-year-old Michael Johnson, was struck by a cyclist and then assaulted last Tuesday, April 30, while out for a walk in the northern Italian city of Bologna with the tour group he was travelling with.
“[He was] run over by a bike and robbed,” she said.
“My dad told me … the woman looked him in the eye and rammed him.”
The elderly man, from Wellington, suffered a broken femur and damage to a recent hip replacement and has only had surgery in the past two or three days.
Despite his age, he is said to be very fit and continues to work in Wellington as an engineer.
“My dad’s from a tough farming background, so he’s got a chance of survival. But many would’ve died from the shock. Initially, they didn’t operate for five days. He’s been in traction since April 30.”
A police statement supplied by the family said Johnson was involved in a collision in Via Santa Stefano, a popular piazza in Bologna.
Susan said she was upset with the tour company, as the group – including two tour operators – left for New Zealand about two days after the incident, leaving her father alone in a foreign country.
She feels there should have been a duty of care from the tour company and her father should have been safe while walking with the group.
She said her father had paid about $30,000 to go on what was meant to be a dream tour.
The family also feels their father had been stranded in Italy and without access to money, after having his cards and cash stolen. All his belongings and luggage, including a laptop, had also been left at the hotel they were staying at.
Co-director of Operatunity, Susan Cameron, said she and her staff were “very distressed” about the incident, saying the company was committed to providing high-quality travel experiences for seniors.
The company disputes the idea Johnson had been deliberately attacked, however, saying the group was on a scheduled, afternoon walking tour of Bologna with a local guide and staff members when the man was hit by a cyclist weaving through the crowd in a public square.
“We immediately assisted our customer, called an ambulance, contacted police and his family and ensured a staff member accompanied him to hospital.
“While in hospital, we organised for one of our staff member’s relatives – a doctor, and an Italian speaker – to liaise with the hospital, provide support, give us and his family updates and visit the man regularly. This arrangement was made with his family’s agreement.”
The elderly man’s daughter disputes that, saying the family had not agreed to that arrangement and had expected an Operatunity staff member to stay in Italy, at least for a few days, after their father was admitted.
“One should’ve stayed with my father … to ensure he was calm. We hope he’ll be fine, but say he had a blood clot and died – he’s got no one there.
“It’s just not what you expect from a tour company.”
Operatunity’s website has a statement: “You will travel with like-minded New Zealanders, stress-free and with every care given for your wellbeing, safety and enjoyment.”
Michael Johnson is being supported by the NZ Embassy in Rome. A staff member told the family he was likely to be in hospital for up to 10 days and would require further rehabilitation after being discharged.
It was unlikely he would be able to sit during his flight home, the staffer said.
Susan Johnson said her UK-based brother was due to travel to Italy to be with their father. There are plans to transfer him home to New Zealand over the next few weeks.
