Woman killed near Florence as Italy records rise in suspected femicides

Italian police are investigating the killing of a 45-year-old woman near Florence after she reportedly called an emergency helpline to say she had been abducted.

Lorena Isceri was taken from the Rifredi area of Florence on Thursday, September 3, and driven toward a bridge on the A1 motorway, according to reporting by The Guardian. Investigators allege that her former partner, 38-year-old Federico Vella, forced her into the boot of his car before taking her phone and throwing her from the bridge. Police are working to establish whether she died before the fall.

Authorities traced Isceri’s phone signal after the emergency call but did not reach the scene in time. Vella also died after jumping from the bridge, the report said. Isceri’s mother told Italian broadcaster Sky TG24 that her daughter had previously expressed fear about the relationship.

The case is the seventh suspected femicide in Italy since the Ferragosto holiday on August 15, according to figures cited in the report. The feminist alliance Non Una di Meno had recorded 40 femicides in Italy as of August 8, despite Interior Ministry data showing a decline during the first half of 2026.

Italy introduced a legal definition of femicide into criminal law in 2025, making the offence punishable by life imprisonment and increasing penalties for stalking, sexual violence and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Campaigners say criminal penalties must be accompanied by sustained prevention and relationship education.

The allegations remain subject to the findings of the police investigation.