In the wide sunlight, a stalker murdered a young Sicilian woman, which caused a shock wave throughout Italy, with 11 women killed since the beginning of the year.

Sara Campanella, a 22-year-old college student, was killed by an acquaintance in Messina, Sicily on Monday afternoon.

Witnesses told the media that they saw a man – later identified by prosecutors as 27-year-old Stefano Argentino – walked towards Ms. Campanella and stabbed her in the street. They said she tried to escape and screamed “Stop it, let me go, stop” and then collapsed.

A passer reportedly heard Ms. Campanella’s scream trying to chase the attacker, who managed to escape.

Ms. Campanella died on her way to the hospital. A few hours later, Mr. Argentina was arrested in the nearby town of Noto.

Argentine lawyer Raffaele Leone told Italian media on Wednesday that his client admitted allegations against him but did not explain why he attacked her.

“I can’t say whether he regrets it, he’s completely closed,” ANSA news agency quoted Leone as saying.

Messina prosecutor Antonio D’Amato said Stefano Argentino had “persistently” harassed Sara Campanella since he started university two years ago. She is studying becoming a biomedical technician.

Mr D’Amato said that one of her friends had to intervene when Mr Argentino kept complaining about Ms Campanella no longer smiling at him.

But he added that Ms. Campanella had never been to the police because she did not find the Argentinian attention particularly “threatening or morbid” to be particularly “threatening or morbid”.

In a police detention order citing Italian media, prosecutors said that Argentines “constantly pester the victim, asking her to go out with him, get to know each other better, and refuse to back down even if she rejected him.”

Mr D’Amato said shortly after being stabbed, Ms Campanella sent a message to some friends telling them that “the patient was following me”.

Ms Campanella’s mother wrote on Facebook that her daughter “has bravely thought her ‘not’ enough because (Stefano Argentino) had nothing to her, they were not together, she just wanted him to leave her alone, she wanted to live, dream and graduate.

“You always need to speak out and go to the police! Please help me make a sound,” she said.

In an emotional interview with Italian TV, Ms. Campanella’s brother said unrequited love or attention would never be the reason for “this behavior.”

“There is no reason that people like him shouldn’t even get words.”

Giulia Cecchettin’s father, She was also 22 years old when she was killed by her ex-boyfriendtold Italian newspaper La Repubblica, “The entire generation has not accepted the rejection.”

“Love is not hidden, jealousy is not love, saying ‘no’ is right. In Sarah’s case, there is no even a romantic relationship.”

“Women continue to be killed by people who do not accept rejection. We need to make extraordinary efforts, a collective act of insurgency… against this culture of death,” said Mara Carfagna, former minister and lawmaker.

In Italy, the problem of violence against women is keenly felt, and the media often reports on women. Last month alone, four women died in the hands of their partners or former partners.

On Wednesday, less than 48 hours after her death, the murder of Sara Campanella was reportedly known as the body of 22-year-old Ilaria Sula was found in a suitcase in Rome.

The college student disappeared last week. According to Italian media, her ex-boyfriend admitted to her murder.