Ornella Forastefano, 46, died in the emergency room of Trebisacce hospital after arriving with very serious injuries and polytrauma to various parts of the body.
Her partner, a citizen of Albanian origin, EM, 42 years old, was detained for the incident, who was located in the port of Bari while, according to the authorities, he was attempting to board a ferry to Albania, reports noa.al.
The 46-year-old’s death is being investigated as a femicide. The incident has yet to be fully clarified and the Carabinieri are conducting intensive investigations, but initial data suggests that it was a violent death.
In Amendolara, most likely during the night between 15 and 16 August, 42-year-old EM is suspected of having accompanied his partner, Ornella Forastefano, first to the Amendolara emergency medical service and then to the emergency room of the “Chidichimo” hospital in Trebisacce. The doctors, however, could do nothing but declare her dead.
From an initial examination of the body, medical personnel found very serious injuries and widespread polytrauma.
The couple had been living in Amendolara for a long time, according to records for about a year, and it is precisely there that the incident is suspected to have occurred.
The investigations were undertaken by the Carabinieri of the Cassano allo Ionio Company and colleagues of the Tenenza of Trebisacce, under the coordination of the Castrovillari Prosecutor’s Office.
Investigations and detention of the partner
The investigations have enabled the construction of a first version of the event, although many questions still remain.
According to authorities, after accompanying Ornella Forastefano to the emergency room of the Trebisacce hospital, the man left and was lost to trace.
The Carabinieri of the Investigative Unit of the province of Cosenza and of the Cassano allo Ionio Company, led by Captain Chiara Baione, immediately launched the search.
Law enforcement officers managed to locate the 42-year-old man at the port of Bari, where he was suspected of trying to board a ferry to Albania. He was immediately detained as a suspect in a crime.
Meanwhile, the Castrovillari Prosecutor’s Office, led by prosecutor Alessandro D’Alessio, has ordered the seizure of the victim’s body and its transfer to the Catanzaro hospital morgue.
Prosecutor Raffaele Miranda, who is leading the investigation, may order an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Local authorities’ reaction
The Municipality of Trebisacce has also reacted to the event, expressing its pain and solidarity with the victim’s family through an official statement.
“On a day of celebration for our community, we learn with sadness the news of a serious event that occurred during the night in Amendolara. The Municipality of Trebisacce expresses its deepest condolences for the tragic loss of Ornella Forastefano, whose death is suspected to be related to circumstances that are still being verified by the competent authorities,” the statement said.
“While waiting for investigators to fully clarify the dynamics of the event, the municipal administration stands by the victim’s children, to whom it conveys the most sincere condolences and solidarity of the entire Trebisacce community,” the reaction concludes.