The brutal murder of 22-year-old university student Sara Campanella in the Sicilian city of Messina has ignited national outrage in Italy, a country grappling with a surge in femicides.

Campanella’s daylight killing by her stalker has highlighted the pervasive issue of violence against women, with 11 women killed in Italy since the start of the year.

On Monday afternoon, witnesses reported seeing 27-year-old Stefano Argentino approach Campanella on a public street and stab her.

Campanella reportedly screamed, “Stop it, let me go, stop it,” before collapsing.

A passer-by attempted to chase Argentino, but he managed to escape.

Campanella died en route to the hospital.

Argentino was apprehended hours later in the nearby town of Noto.

His lawyer, Raffaele Leone, confirmed that Argentino admitted to the crime but offered no explanation for his actions.

“I can’t say if he’s remorseful, he’s quite closed up,” Leone told Ansa news agency.

Messina prosecutor Antonio D’Amato revealed that Argentino had been “insistently and repeatedly” harassing Campanella since she began her biomedical technician studies two years prior.

A friend had previously intervened when Argentino complained that Campanella no longer smiled at him.

However, Campanella did not report Argentino to the police, as she did not perceive his behavior as “threatening or pathological.”

According to the police detention order, Argentino had been “regularly pestering the victim, asking her to go out with him and get to know each other better, and refusing to back down even when she would turn him down.”

Shortly before the attack, Campanella messaged friends, stating, “that sick guy is following me.”

In a poignant Facebook post, Campanella’s mother lamented that her daughter’s “No” was not enough to deter Argentino.

“You always need to speak up and go to the police! Help me give Sara a voice,” she wrote.

Campanella’s brother, in an emotional television interview, condemned Argentino’s actions, stating, “There are no justifications, and someone like him doesn’t even deserve words.”

The father of Giulia Cecchettin, another 22-year-old victim of femicide, told La Repubblica that “there are entire generations of men who don’t accept rejection.”

He emphasized, “Love is not possession, jealousy is not love, and saying ‘No’ is a right. In Sara’s case there hadn’t even been a relationship.”

Former minister and lawmaker Mara Carfagna called for a “collective act of rebellion… against this culture of death.”

The issue of femicide is alarmingly prevalent in Italy. Last month alone, four women were killed by their partners or ex-partners.

Less than 48 hours after Campanella’s murder, news broke of the discovery of 22-year-old Ilaria Sula’s body in a suitcase in Rome.

Her ex-boyfriend has confessed to her murder.

These tragic events have underscored the urgent need for societal change and increased awareness about violence against women in Italy.