A working-class neighborhood in the eastern suburbs of Naples is the scene of yet another femicide: Ylenia Musella, 22, was stabbed to death in the back, leaving her face swollen, with obvious signs of beatings. Police are trying to locate her brother, Giuseppe, 28, who has been missing since the crime and whom rumors in the neighborhood point to as being responsible for the incident.

The young woman was taken to the Villa Betania Evangelical Hospital by car. She was already in critical condition; the stab wound had damaged vital organs. It's unclear who was in the car, which sped away immediately afterward and is being traced using video surveillance. Ylenia had her documents in her pocket; she was immediately treated, but doctors could only pronounce her dead shortly after she was admitted, alerting the police.

The Musella family lives on Via Chiaro di Luna, in the Conocal neighborhood, a cluster of public housing built after the 1980 earthquake. It's a run-down and highly problematic area, where drug dealing and the presence of the Camorra weigh heavily on the lives of respectable people. But crime has nothing to do with it this time: Ylenia was apparently killed during a family dispute. Investigators from the Flying Squad are carefully reconstructing her relationship with her brother and Ylenia's social network, which is very active on social media. The young woman has not filed any complaints against stalkers or ex-boyfriends, which has further focused the investigation on the family circle. The murder weapon has not yet been found, and many elements remain unclear.

The attack on Ylenia, who was first punched and slapped in the face and then fatally stabbed in the back, appears to have occurred in the street amidst a crescendo of screams that attracted the attention of many in the neighborhood. The investigation is being coordinated by Prosecutor Ciro Capasso, who, along with the police, is interviewing people close to the victim and those with knowledge of the incident. Outside the Villa Betania hospital, scenes of anger and desperation erupted: a small crowd of relatives and friends gathered, crying and remembering Ylenia. No tense moments were reported; the situation is being kept under control by law enforcement.

"She was always the sun shining, it's absurd to think her smile has faded," says a young local, showing the 22-year-old's latest photos on Instagram and emphasizing the "energy, the zest for life, the enthusiasm" she conveyed to the group of friends she went out with in the evenings.

Mayor Gaetano Manfredi expressed his condolences: "I am saddened by the death of this young woman from Ponticelli. Law enforcement and the judiciary will be able to reconstruct the facts. Our commitment to reducing poverty in neighborhoods where we are investing in local regeneration will be even stronger."

"A tragedy," commented the prefect of Naples, Michele di Bari, who emphasized: "The police and the judiciary are already acting, and we must always trust them."

(Unioneonline)

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