A judge in Italy has sentenced a 23-year-old man to life in prison for the stabbing murder of his former girlfriend, a heinous act of femicide that has put violence against women in the spotlight in this country.

A 23-year-old Italian man has been sentenced to life in prison after admitting to stabbing his ex-girlfriend in a closely watched case that sparked public outcry.

The sentence against Filippo Turetta was read in a Venice court a little over a year after the body of Giulia Cecchettin was found in a ditch.

Stories of femicide routinely top the news agenda in Italy, but Giulia Cecchettin’s story attracted an unusual amount of attention from the start. The week-long search for the young couple gripped people; the revelation that Ms Cecchettin had been killed just days before her graduation moved them. More than 10,000 attended her funeral.

A student who admitted murdering his ex-girlfriend in a brutal case that sparked outrage and soul searching in Italy will be sentenced Tuesday.

Filippo Turetta kept his eyes down as the verdict and sentence were read in a Venice court, Dec 3, 2024.

Giulia Cecchettin's murder is one of a string of femicides that have made headlines in Italy in recent years, but it struck a nerve, pushing the issue to the forefront of public discourse.