Italy is once again confronting the issue of femicide after the murders of two female students within 48 hours, bringing the total number of femicides in the country since the beginning of the year to 11.
The cases have sparked outrage, protests, and renewed calls for a “cultural rebellion” against gender-based violence.
The first murder took place in Messina, Sicily, on Monday afternoon. Sara Campanella, a 22-year-old biomedical student, was fatally stabbed at a bus stop. Despite emergency efforts, she died while being transported to hospital. Authorities quickly arrested 27-year-old Stefano Argentino, a fellow student at the University of Messina, in the town of Noto. His lawyer confirmed that Argentino had confessed to the killing. Prosecutor Antonio D’Amato revealed that Argentino had harassed Campanella persistently since she started her university studies two years ago.
Ilaria Sula also stabbed to death
The second case emerged early Wednesday morning when the body of Ilaria Sula, a 22-year-old statistics student from Sapienza University of Rome, was discovered in a suitcase in a wooded area outside the capital. She had been missing since 23 March. Investigators suspect she was stabbed to death, and her former boyfriend, 23-year-old Mark Samson, is currently being questioned by police on charges of murder and concealing a body.
The murders of the two female students have ignited protests in multiple cities, including Messina, Rome, and Bologna, with more demonstrations planned. At the University of Messina, students held a minute of silence in memory of Campanella. The university’s rector, Giovanna Spatari, expressed dismay, calling it yet another example of femicide. Antonella Polimeni, rector of Sapienza University, condemned Sula’s killing as an “atrocious and brutal femicide” and called for action to prevent further tragedies.
The incidents have intensified discussions on violence against women in Italy. In 2024 alone, there have been 113 femicides, with 99 of them committed by family members, partners, or ex-partners. Mara Carfagna, secretary of the centre-right Noi Moderati party, has urged a “cultural rebellion,” arguing that while Italy has advanced laws addressing violence against women, societal attitudes have not evolved at the same pace.
Draft law criminalising femicide as specific crime
In response to mounting public pressure, Giorgia Meloni’s government recently approved a draft law formally defining femicide in criminal law. The legislation imposes life sentences for femicide and increases penalties for related crimes such as stalking, sexual violence, and “revenge porn.” The move follows widespread outrage over the November 2023 murder of 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin by her ex-boyfriend, Filippo Turetta, who was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, opposition politicians, particularly from the Democratic Party, are calling for stronger preventive measures, including educational initiatives to combat the “continuous slaughter of women.” As the nation mourns these latest victims, the debate over how to address gender-based violence in Italy grows increasingly urgent.
