Attempted femicide in Vicenza: woman stabbed in face, partner arrested
A 35-year-old man of Moroccan origin was arrested on Thursday in Castelfranco Veneto for repeatedly stabbing his partner during an assault in an apartment in Vicenza. The victim, a 49-year-old Croatian woman, is hospitalised at San Bortolo but is out of danger.
Violent assault in flat, partner struck multiple times in face
The partner was wounded in the face and arms during an altercation that broke out in the night between Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November 2026 in an apartment in the San Pio X district of Vicenza. According to reports from ilgiornaledivicenza.it, Younes Nafaa, a 35-year-old barber of Moroccan origin, struck the woman repeatedly with a penknife during a violent row. The victim, a 49-year-old of Croatian origin, was hospitalised in the reconstructive plastic surgery ward of San Bortolo in Vicenza.
Nafaa was arrested on Thursday morning at his residence in Castelfranco Veneto, where he had taken refuge following the assault. He has been charged with attempted murder, classified as attempted femicide. The judge for preliminary investigations validated the arrest and ordered him remanded in custody at the facility in Treviso.
The dynamics of the assault
During the row, the man wielded the knife and initially turned it against the victim's son, who was present in the flat. The boy managed to flee onto the street and call for help, allowing his mother to barricade herself in the apartment. Nafaa chased him for some distance, then returned to the residence and began striking the door violently whilst shouting threats.
When the woman allowed him to enter, hoping to calm the situation, the actual assault ensued. The man struck her first with his fists, then with at least five slashes to the face and arms. The victim was unable to defend herself from the blows and sustained deep wounds, particularly to the face and temple.
The escape and discovery of the knife
After seeing his partner lying on the ground in a pool of blood, Nafaa left the apartment on foot and reached Vicenza railway station. He remained there for some hours before boarding the first train to Castelfranco, the city where he lives and works. During his escape he disposed of the weapon used, a blade which was later found in the gas meter box of a neighbouring residence.
The arrest and evidence collected
Following the alarm raised by the victim's son, police identified Nafaa and traced his address. On Thursday morning they went to his residence in Castelfranco Veneto to conduct a search. During the investigation a leather jacket with possible traces of blood was seized, along with his mobile phone and the railway ticket purchased at Vicenza station for the journey to Castelfranco Veneto.
The victim's condition
The woman remains hospitalised at San Bortolo in the reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery ward. According to the latest available update, she is doing much better and remains under reserved prognosis, although she is out of danger. She is conscious, cooperating with doctors and recovering from the severe physical and psychological shock sustained.
The most serious injuries are concentrated on the face: the slashes caused facial nerve damage, fracture of the temporal bone and permanent scarring. The woman has also sustained injuries with leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. She will need to be assessed by a specialist before discharge from hospital.
Source: Google News IT — Crime (it)