Florence femicide: woman thrown from bridge is seventh since mid-August

A 45-year-old woman, Lorena Isceri, was abducted on Thursday afternoon and thrown off a motorway bridge near Florence, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend Federico Vella, according to the Guardian. She becomes the seventh alleged femicide in Italy since mid-August, a grim tally that has reignited national debate over violence against women.

The killing has struck at the heart of Tuscany, a region more often associated with Renaissance art and postcard hills than with such brutal crime. Local authorities have expressed shock, while women's advocacy groups have pointed to the frequency of such attacks as evidence of a systemic failure to protect women from former partners.

The Guardian reported that Isceri was abducted on the afternoon of September 4. Her body was discovered after a search, and Vella is now in custody facing allegations of murder. The case has drawn attention to the prevalence of femicide in Italy, where an average of one woman is killed every three days, according to recent statistics cited by international observers.