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Crucifixion killing: DNA matches in three cases

Police have found DNA matches in three separate cases linked to the so-called “crucifixion killing” of a prostitute whose body was found tied to a horizontal bar in a position similar to that of crucifixion in the outskirts of Florence.

Published: 8 May 2014 11:22 CEST
Crucifixion killing: DNA matches in three cases
Investigators have not ruled out that there could be more cases linked to the killing. Photo: Rosie Scammell

On Wednesday, police confirmed that they are hunting for a serial offender targeting prostitutes in Florence after the same DNA was found in three separate cases investigated in connection with the latest killing, Italian news agency Ansa reported.  

The DNA, which was discovered on the tape used to bind the women, concern a case from July 17th 2011 in Calenzano, a case from March 28th 2013 in Ugnano and another from February 21st 2014, also in Calenzano.

Police are also investigating possible links with four other cases dating back as far as 2006.

One of the cases under examination involved a 46-year-old female prostitute, who last March reported being raped, robbed and tied with tape by a client on the same road after being approached by a customer in the northern outskirts of the city.

But investigators have not ruled out that there could be more cases linked to the killing.

The Dna breakthrough comes after it was reported that the tape used to bind the woman may provide vital clues to the identification of her killer.

According to reports on Tuesday, the tape has an inscription which links it to the Careggi hospital in Florence.

The body of 26-year-old Romanian prostitute Andrea Cristina Zamfir was discovered by a cyclist under a bridge below the A1 motorway in the Ugnano district, on the western outskirts of the city on Monday.

Her body had been bound taped to a horizontal bar, with her “arms outstretched as if she had been crucified”. She was still wearing her shoes and the rest of her clothes were discovered around half a mile away on the same road.

She had been raped with an object – probably a pole – and left to die.

On Wednesday, it was confirmed that the woman had died of an internal hemorrhage following an autopsy at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Careggi.

Police fear that a serial killer similar to the notorious so-called ‘Monster of Florence’ or 'Il Mostro' in Italian, who killed 16 people in the city between 1968 and 1985, could be responsible.

The killer, who mostly targeted couples, was never caught. 

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CRIME

REVEALED: Where in Italy you’re most likely to be a victim of crime

From theft and home burglary to cyber fraud and extortion, the latest figures reveal where in Italy you are most likely to fall victim to crime and the most common types of offences in major cities around the country.

Published: 17 September 2024 11:15 CEST
REVEALED: Where in Italy you're most likely to be a victim of crime

While Italy is among the safest countries in the world – it ranked 33rd out of 163 in the latest Global Peace Index report, right above the UK – crime is still a concern, especially in metropolitan cities and tourist hotspots.

According to the annual crime report from newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, which collated the most recent data from Italy’s Department of Public Security, Milan was the Italian city with the highest crime rate in 2023.

Overall, some 230,394 crimes were reported in the northern metropolis last year, which corresponded to 7,094 offences for every 100,000 residents.

Milan was followed by Italy’s capital, Rome, with 6,071 reported crimes for every 100,000 residents (up by nearly 600 compared to 2022) and Florence, with 6,053.

The top ten was completed by Rimini (6,002 reports for every 100,000 residents), Turin (5,685), Bologna (5,539), Prato (4,887), Imperia (4,838), Venice (4,825) and Livorno (4,743).

At the other end of the spectrum, Oristano, Sardinia, was the Italian city with the lowest crime rate in 2023 as it ‘only’ saw 1,511 offences for every 100,000 residents. 

Oristano was followed by Potenza, Basilicata (1,934) and Treviso, Veneto (2,258).

Single-offence rankings

While the overall crime rate ranking provides a picture of Italy’s major crime hotspots, it doesn’t allow for any insight into the types of offences committed locally, which is why it is worth looking into single-offence rankings. 

Milan, Rome and Rimini (a popular seaside resort on Emilia Romagna’s Adriatic coast) were the Italian cities with the highest theft rates in 2023, with the northern city registering nearly 3,900 reported thefts (furti) for every 100,000 residents and the capital stopping just shy of the 3,500 mark.

Milan was also Italy’s least-safe city when it came to petty theft and pickpocketing, with over 900 such offences reported for every 100,000 residents.

READ ALSO: How bad is pickpocketing in Italy’s major cities?

Florence was the Italian city with the highest robbery rate (rapine), with 136 offences for every 100,000 residents. 

The Tuscan city was followed by Milan (128) and Prato (124).

Outside of big cities and popular tourist destinations, a number of smaller and, perhaps, slightly unassuming Italian cities had their own crime ‘specialisations’ in 2023. 

For instance, Ragusa, Sicily, ranked first in vehicle theft, while Pisa, Tuscany, came in first in reported home burglary offences.

Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia, had the highest sexual assault rate (24 reports for every 100,000 residents) in the country, whereas Crotone ranked first for attempted murder.

READ ALSO: The 8 red flags to look out for to avoid rental scams in Italy

Turin came in first for cyber fraud and online scams, while Isernia, Molise, was Italy’s extortion capital. 

National picture

At a national level, reported crimes were up by 3.8 percent compared to 2022, with online fraud and robbery registering 10.3- and 9.5-percent increases respectively. 

Assault offences also registered a 3.1-percent year-on-year increase, while there were 341 murders in 2023 – up by 13 against 2019. 

According to Marco Dugato, a researcher at the Crime Observatory of Milan’s Cattolica University, the latest increases “must be monitored, particularly for certain types of crime”.

In particular, “the rise of more impulsive, less planned, but more aggressive forms of criminal activity” such as assault and robbery “is of concern”. 

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