An argument between an Albanian couple in the coastal town of Cattolica in the province of Rimini in Italy, ended in a serious incident which is being considered by Italian authorities as an attempted femicide. The 46-year-old man, identified as Ismail Picari, was arrested after he is suspected of speeding and driving his car into the waters of the port canal while his 40-year-old wife was also in it.
Fortunately, thanks to the intervention of two people who saw the scene, both parents of the two children survived. While the Albanian fled the scene, which was recorded on Wednesday, August 19, and was later arrested.
According to the reconstruction of the event by the carabinieri, the Volkswagen Golf driven by Picari accelerated towards the canal bank and ended up in the water, in full view of passers-by, tourists and fishermen in the area. Two of them saw everything and immediately jumped into the water to help the couple. Witnesses have shown that at that moment the trunk of the car opened, creating the opportunity for the woman to get out of the sinking vehicle. Investigations showed that the 40-year-old did not know how to swim, but nevertheless opened the trunk by continuously hitting it until the mechanism was released, managing to escape.
All the evidence collected so far has raised suspicions of attempted murder, according to the woman’s testimony that her husband had tried to drown her. “In the water I felt his hands on my neck,” she confessed, adding that then her husband left, leaving her alone.
Italian media reports that investigations have also uncovered a history of previous violence. Just two days before the incident on August 17, the 46-year-old was arrested after allegedly raping his wife. Reported by family members, Italian authorities intervened. While handcuffed, the Albanian threatened his wife, “I’ll kill you, I’ll shoot you! They’re arresting me today, but as soon as I get out, I’ll come find you.”
According to the investigators’ reconstruction, before going to the port, Picari had asked his wife to accompany him to the bank to divide the joint accounts. Then an argument broke out between them, which, according to the investigators’ suspicions, ended with the car being thrown into the canal. The couple’s daughter declared that her father had raped her mother for a long time and that she was the one who located his car at the port and immediately went to the scene of the incident, where she found her mother in the hands of the emergency team. Residents of the area have also stated that the 46-year-old was violent. Picari also has other criminal records, including for resisting police, drunkenness in public places and possession of cold weapons. The Carabinieri, after searching the couple’s apartment, found signs that, according to them, indicated that a violent conflict had recently occurred there.