Light procession in Florence after the femicide of Lorena I.

On Sunday evening, around 2,000 people marched with candles and flowers to the house in Florence where 46-year-old Lorena I had lived until her murder last Thursday. Mayor Sara Funaro called for the parade of lights. Franco I, the murder victim's father, had previously called on politicians in a powerful video to do everything across parties to prevent further tragedies like this - from school education to better staffing and financial resources in women's shelters to tightening the law.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni responded to the distraught father, saying it was “always a defeat for all of us when a woman is killed by someone who promised her love and protection.” She assured that she would continue to fight against violence against women “in the name of a society that protects women and their freedom”.

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She tried to call for help from the trunk

Lorena I. ended her relationship with 36-year-old Federico V. weeks ago because he had cheated on her. V. didn't want to accept the separation and pressured her more and more aggressively. Out of fear, Lorena I finally returned temporarily to her parents in Apulia. She did not follow their advice to contact the authorities about the threat.

On Thursday around lunchtime, Federico V. ambushed his former partner in the garage of her home, abused her and tied her up before putting her in the trunk of his car. From there, the injured and disoriented woman was able to make several calls for help after she was able to fish her cell phone out of the backpack that Federico V. had also thrown into the trunk.

The police managed to locate the car - it was driving on the highway towards Rome. There Federico V. stopped on a 45 meter high viaduct and pushed Lorena I. into the depths. When the police, who had closed the section of the motorway, arrived at the scene, the perpetrator was standing next to his car, which was parked on the hard shoulder, beyond the guard rail, with his back to the abyss. At that time, he had already informed Lorena I.'s mother via text message that her daughter was no longer alive - which the emergency services at the scene had no idea about.

For around 40 minutes, a young policewoman tried to persuade Federico V. to surrender to the officers. She did it on her knees in the middle of the road, as can be seen in published cell phone footage from police and emergency responders. She hoped that she could also save the kidnapped, injured woman who she suspected was in the trunk of the parked car.

Finally, Federico V. plunged into the depths. There the emergency services found not only the murderer's body but also that of his victim. An autopsy of Lorena I's body is intended to clarify whether she was already dead when Federico V threw her off the bridge.