A man fatally attacked his wife with a stone before fleeing their residence with his adolescent children. Tragically, when authorities located them, the son was found deceased in the car. Salvatore Ocone, aged 58, stands accused of murdering his 49-year-old wife, Elisa Polcino, by striking her in the head with a large rock while she was in bed at their home in Paupisi, located in the Benevento province of southern Italy, on September 30. The wife’s lifeless body was discovered by her mother-in-law, who grew concerned when Elisa did not leave the house to take her children to school as usual.
Following the distressing revelation, the Carabinieri, Italy’s national gendarmerie, initiated a 12-hour manhunt. Eventually, a police helicopter spotted the man’s vehicle in Ferrazzano, approximately 70km away from the initial incident. However, upon locating the car, officers made a heartbreaking discovery – the couple’s 15-year-old son was deceased, while his 16-year-old sister was critically injured. Ocone was present in the vehicle with his daughter and the deceased son when emergency services arrived.
Authorities noted that the injuries sustained by the teenagers suggested they had also been assaulted with rocks. According to reports, Ocone allegedly used a glass bottle to attack the children. The couple also had an older son who was absent during the tragic events, as he works in Emilia-Romagna, a region in northern Italy. Gianfranco Scarfò, the prosecutor in Benevento, stated that Ocone killed his wife with a stone and then proceeded to harm his younger children in their home before taking them into his car and fleeing.
Carabinieri discovered blood traces at the family residence and near where Ocone’s car was parked. Colonel Calandro, the commander of Benevento Carabinieri, expressed the urgency to locate the vehicle to save the children after realizing they had been attacked at home. Ocone was apprehended and charged with aggravated double homicide, attempted homicide, and kidnapping. Upon interrogation, he admitted to the two murders on October 1. He is currently detained in a prison in Campobasso.
The couple’s daughter, who was in critical condition when found in the car alongside her deceased brother, was transported to the Neuromed hospital in Pozzilli, in the Isernia province, where she underwent surgery for a severe head injury. An update from the hospital indicated that she is now in a stable condition, although her prognosis remains guarded.
Elisa became another victim in a distressing series of femicides in Italy. In response, the Senate unanimously passed a bill in July to classify femicide as a distinct felony in Italian criminal law. The legislation imposes life imprisonment on individuals who cause a woman’s death due to discrimination or hatred towards her gender or to suppress her rights or freedoms.
The bill, now under review in the Lower House, introduces new terms for prison benefits and privileges for those convicted of femicide and strengthens obligations for educational programs to combat gender-based violence. For confidential assistance, individuals can call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. Additionally, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) offers specialized support for those who have lost a loved one to fatal domestic abuse. More information is available at www.aafda.org.uk.