Italian Prosecutor Admits Oversight in Stalking Case of Murdered Pregnant Woman

Authorities failed to act on Vanessa Ballan's complaint against her alleged killer, marking a tragic misstep in a country grappling with femicide.

Italian prosecutor Marco Martani acknowledged that authorities may have underestimated a stalking threat against 26-year-old pregnant Vanessa Ballan, who was later found stabbed to death in her home.
Ballan had filed a complaint against Bujar Fandaj after he attempted to enter her home and engaged in a series of aggressions.
Authorities searched Fandaj's house the next day, but the case was labeled non-urgent, leading to no further action against him.
Fandaj, a Kosovo citizen living in Italy, was arrested late Tuesday in his home in a nearby town.
Ballan's murder comes just a month after Italy was shocked by the killing of 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin, who was found dead in a remote area of the Alpine foothills.