On Monday evening, near Piacenza, Italian carabinieri arrested a 15-year-old boy accused of killing 13-year-old Aurora Tila. Tila died after falling from the eighth-floor terrace of a building last Friday. The teen, whose name has not been disclosed, is the ex-boyfriend of Tila and was present when she fell. He is currently under investigation for intentional homicide by the juvenile prosecutor’s office in Bologna and is in custody at the “Pietro Siciliani” juvenile detention center.
This case has garnered significant media attention due to suspicions that it may be a femicide, defined as a murder stemming from violence—both physical and psychological—rooted in power dynamics and gender stereotypes exerted by men close to the victims. In Italy, there are no specific statistics on femicides, but the Interior Ministry compiles weekly data on homicides, which can be broken down by the relationship between perpetrator and victim. So far this year, the Ministry has reported that 80 women have been killed “in a familial or affectionate context.”
An autopsy on Tila’s body is scheduled for Tuesday to clarify the cause of death. Meanwhile, testimonies and evidence have emerged indicating that Tila had suffered psychological and physical abuse from her ex-boyfriend in the months leading up to her death. She had broken up with him for the second time just weeks prior, after seeking help from social services due to his aggressive behavior, which her family described as obsessive and threatening.
Investigators have uncovered a video showing the ex-boyfriend physically assaulting and verbally abusing Tila at a bus station, recorded by her friends, who later intervened to help her. Additional testimonies reveal a troubling pattern of abuse; Tila’s mother reported that the ex-boyfriend had hit her just three days before her death. Neighbors reported seeing him sleeping on her landing to monitor her movements, and family and friends noted that Tila expressed fears for her life, believing he might kill her.
On the morning of her death, Tila left home shortly after 8 a.m. to go to school but never arrived. Instead, she met her ex-boyfriend, and the two went up to the terrace of her building, which is accessible from the roof. Neighbors reported seeing the pair on the terrace several times before. Shortly after 8:30 a.m., the 15-year-old rang doorbells in the building and called emergency services. Tila’s body was found on the fifth-floor terrace, having fallen from approximately twelve meters. Witnesses described the boy as being in shock when he was let inside the building.
As investigations continue and the autopsy is conducted, initial evidence suggests that Tila may not have jumped intentionally. The terrace railing is about 1.2 meters high, while Tila was only 1.5 meters tall and weighed slightly more than 30 kilograms. Lorenza Dordoni, the family’s attorney, pointed out that even if Tila had attempted to jump, her ex-boyfriend would have had the physical ability and opportunity to stop her. The autopsy will also help determine whether Tila was already dead when she fell.
