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A manhunt is underway in Italy for a Moroccan migrant who stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death outside the front of her home in Foggia.
The 46-year-old woman, also of Moroccan origin, was fatally stabbed just meters from her home despite being under police protection through Italy’s “red code” domestic violence protocol.
The victim had previously filed a complaint against her ex-partner and had active protective measures in place, including a restraining order against the man now suspected of her murder.
The attack occurred on Vico Cibele, a narrow street off Via Nicola Parisi, close to where the woman lived. As reported by Corriere della Mezzogiorno, she had returned home around 2 a.m. after finishing her shift at a restaurant and encountered her former partner nearby.
Upon seeing him, she reportedly phoned the police to report his presence. Before help could arrive, however, the man allegedly attacked and fatally stabbed her.
Local residents, awakened by the woman’s screams, discovered her bleeding out on the street. Emergency responders and police arrived shortly after, alerted by her call, but were unable to save her life.
“She screamed so loudly — people came out into the street. It was awful,” one resident told the local Italian news outlet.
Investigators believe the assailant may have been waiting in ambush, knowing her routine and timing. Authorities are currently reviewing surveillance footage from the area to track the suspect’s movements.
The “red code” law, introduced in Italy in 2019, is intended to fast-track protective measures for victims of domestic abuse, including mandatory police action and restrictions on the accused.
The perpetrator remains at large.
