The 15-year-old girl, who has not been named, was on holiday with her parents in the Maremma region when she was allegedly raped by a young man early on Wednesday morning near a bar in the town of Scarlino, according to the Italian daily La Repubblica.

Police have questioned a group of teenagers who were reportedly with the young girl on the night of the attack.

The teenager told police she was raped on a jetty a short distance from the bar and gave them a description of the attacker who has not yet been identified, La Repubblica said.

She said she left the bar alone around 4.00am and after the attack she returned to the bar in a state of shock.

When approached by The Local the British Embassy in Rome said it was not aware of the alleged attack.

Violence against women has become a major issue in Italy this year and according to CGIL, Italy's largest trade union, there were 81 victims until June 2013. In 2012 the number of victims stood at 124, according to Italy’s national statistics agency ISTAT. 

 In August the Italian government passed a new anti-femicide law, which includes measures such as the obligatory arrest of those caught in the act of stalking, or physically abusing victims, and obligatory police investigations once complaints have been lodged.