As of: February 12, 2024, 1:31 p.m
By: Bettina Menzel
Comments
Press
Split
Police forces are standing near the crime scene.
A father is said to have killed his wife and two underage sons near Palermo in Sicily.
© Alberto Lo Bianco/dpa
A 54-year-old man in Italy murders his family and claims it was the devil in the house.
The police suspect a connection to a cult.
Altavilla Milicia – A gruesome crime occurred last Friday (February 9) in the Sicilian coastal town of Altavilla Milicia, near Palermo.
A 54-year-old man, father of three children, apparently murdered his wife, who was 13 years his junior, and his two sons, aged 5 and 16.
The Italian news agency Ansa reported on Sunday that the suspected perpetrator justified the murders by saying "it was the devil in the house."
It is believed that the man may have been a member of a cult and had support in the terrible act.
After three dogs bitten a jogger to death in a park on Sunday, it is the next shocking death in Italy.
Family father in Italy kills his wife and sons – to drive out the devil?
The man's 17-year-old daughter apparently witnessed the crime.
She was found by police in a side room of the house.
The alleged perpetrator turned himself in to the police and stated in a telephone conversation with the responsible officers: “I killed my whole family, come and get me.
I will wait for you in Casteldaccia.” He was then picked up by a patrol car in a town five kilometers away, while other police officers drove to his house in Altavilla Milicia and discovered the bodies of his two sons there.
The man's murdered wife was only found hours later.
The mother's burned remains were discovered under a mound of dirt next to the house.
Initial findings indicate that the perpetrator may have dismembered the body and set it on fire.
The 54-year-old confessed to the police that he had murdered his wife and two sons.
In a suburb of the Sicilian coastal city of Palermo, a father murdered his wife and two sons.
© Werner Lerooy/Imago
A neighbor reported to the Italian news portal
RaiNews
that the wife had probably been suffering from the husband for a long time and had possibly been a victim of domestic violence before: "She wasn't happy here, she wanted to return to Novara." The family, originally in the city Novara, who lived in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, had moved to Sicily about five years ago.
“Religious obsession” as a motive: 54-year-old’s exorcism claims three lives
Police investigations revealed that the man appeared to be a religious fanatic and potential cult member.
It is believed that a couple from Palermo may have been involved in the murders and may have incited the man to commit the brutal act.
According to Ansa, the statement of the 17-year-old daughter also suggests this.
“They performed an exorcism to cast out the devil,” she told officers, adding that her father woke up in the middle of the night and noticed “demons” in the house.
My news
1 hour ago
Notice causes horror: Mountain station no longer wants to lend skis and sledges to Jews
2 hours ago
Fatal attack in Italy: Three dogs bite joggers to death in the park - Read new details
Largest mass migration of all time: Hundreds of millions of Chinese are on the moveread
100,000 people under 65 have dementia: 15 factors increase the risk of the disease reading
Austrian community puts “invisible” speed traps into operation
1 hour ago
Because they had contact with a bat: Authorities are looking for children – the animal probably had a deadly virus reading
Police suspect “religious obsession” as a possible motive for the murders.
In addition to the 54-year-old main suspect, the couple from Palermo were also arrested.
The investigation by the Palermo public prosecutor's office is still ongoing.
Suburb of Palermo: Small community in shock - Italy's problems with femicides
According to media reports, the small community of Altavilla Milicia is in shock, according to the mayor.
He said: “I would like to express the community’s condolences to the families affected by this tragic event,” as
ORF
reported.
The surviving 17-year-old daughter was taken to a home on the orders of the youth prosecutor.
Even without dubious religious motives, the triple murder is a terrible crime - and unfortunately not uncommon.
“Femicide” was the word of the year in Italy in 2023.
A woman is killed there every third day, in the majority of cases by her partner or ex-partner.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.
Find out more about our AI principles here.