The Regional Coordination of Anti‑Violence Centres and Safe Houses expresses deep sorrow and outrage over the femicide of Luigia Fortunato, the 33‑year‑old woman brutally stabbed to death by her former partner in Loreto. We stand with her family in grief, and especially with her seven‑year‑old child, who has been deprived of a mother in such a violent and traumatic way.

Faced with a sadly recurring and tragic dynamic — a woman separated, an ex‑partner who will not accept the end of the relationship, alleged tensions over child custody used as a pretext for violence, and the man taking to the street declaring “I killed my ex” — the Regional Coordination cannot hesitate over terminology.

With regard to recent statements by the investigating authorities, who say that the formal classification as “femicide” will be assessed only after all elements have been gathered, the Regional Coordination considers it necessary to make a crucial clarification. While, from a strictly legal and procedural standpoint, magistrates must carry out the formal steps required by the penal code, from a social, cultural, and phenomenological perspective this is, without a shadow of doubt, a femicide, and we trust that the investigation, with due time and verifications, will reach this determination.

Femicide is the killing of a woman because she is a woman, perpetrated by someone who considered her life, her freedom, and her affections as their personal property. Luigia’s story is the story of so many others — a tragedy far too frequent in our news.

The Regional Coordination of Anti‑Violence Centres and Safe Houses emphasizes that the absence of formal complaints does not mean the absence of violence or control; psychological and economic abuse and veiled threats often leave no immediate legal trace, but they erode a victim’s ability to seek help. The fact that Luigia Fortunato had not filed a report before the killing is, sadly, a recurring element in many cases of femicide and domestic violence, often linked to fear of retaliation by the abuser, isolation, and the lack of self‑trust that so frequently characterizes victims.

Women’s safety cannot depend solely on the formal act of filing a complaint. Society, social services, general practitioners, and neighbours need training to recognise warning signs before it reaches a point of no return. When a woman is isolated or frightened, the responsibility to activate a protection network cannot fall entirely on her shoulders. The absence of a complaint does not erase the phenomenon or the danger; it only tells us that protecting victims and achieving cultural change in our society still requires a great deal of work.

The Anti‑Violence Centres and Safe Houses in the region remain open, active, and accessible every day to receive, support, and protect all women who are experiencing control and violence. You are not alone, and it is not necessary to file a complaint to receive listening and help.

National Anti‑Violence and Stalking Hotline: 1522 (active 24/7) for immediate support and to be put in contact with the nearest anti‑violence centre.

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