Women arrested over Rome umbrella killing

ITALIAN police have detained two women in connection with the killing of a young commuter who was stabbed in the eye with an umbrella at Rome’s main train station, news reports said.

State TV and Italian news agencies reported that the two women were tracked down by police at a house in the small town of Tolentino, about 300km from Rome.

The ferocity of Thursday’s attack shocked the nation, where violent crime on public transport is rare.

Vanessa Russo, 22, died of wounds suffered when she was stabbed in the eye with the umbrella’s tip while on her way to work. Witnesses and surveillance cameras indicated that two women were involved in the attack on the subway platform.

News reports said police were investigating whether the victim had argued with the two women shortly before being stabbed, or had made clear that she suspected them of trying to pick her pocket.

A Rome police official, Alberto Intini, said fingerprints found on the umbrella were fragmentary, but that investigators hoped to get enough DNA traces from the umbrella so that it can be used in any possible prosecution.