Italian courts confirm premeditated murders of women by ex‑partners

Mirko Bertellini, a 44‑year‑old man with prior minor offences, lured his former girlfriend’s new partner, Federico Venco, to a road in Somma Lombardo, Varese, and deliberately rammed Venco’s motorcycle with his car, killing him. The incident, investigated by police, is being treated as a femicide motivated by jealousy over the ex‑girlfriend’s new relationship.

In Rome, the Supreme Court (Corte di Cassazione) upheld the conviction of Costantino Bonaiuti for the premeditated murder of his former partner Martina Scialdone, 29, who was shot after a series of threatening phone calls and the suspect arming himself for the fatal encounter. The ruling highlights failures in protecting women who reported prior abuse and reinforces the legal view of the crime as a planned act of domestic violence.