Aurora Tila's ex-boyfriend confesses in appeal: 'I threw her from the balcony'. Court adjourns to 10 September
On 13 July 2026, the ex-boyfriend of Aurora Tila, now almost 17, confessed in Bologna's Court of Appeal to throwing the 13-year-old from a seventh-floor balcony in Piacenza on 25 October 2024, ending a year-and-a-half of denials. The trial has been adjourned to 10 September pending a prison conduct report.
Surprise confession in Bologna courtroom
The ex-boyfriend of Aurora Tila, now nearly 17, made spontaneous statements via video link from the Catanzaro juvenile prison on 13 July 2026, admitting for the first time that he threw the 13-year-old to her death. He apologised both for the murder and for delaying his confession, reversing the not-guilty stance he maintained throughout the investigation and first-instance trial. The Juvenile Court of Bologna had already convicted him on 3 November 2025 and sentenced him to 17 years in prison for aggravated murder and stalking.
With the confession a circle is closed. But we hope the Court confirms the first-instance sentence, which established a congruent penalty.
The lawyer representing Aurora's mother called the admission late and instrumental, suggesting it might be an attempt to secure a reduced sentence. The court immediately ordered a report on the defendant's behaviour inside the Catanzaro facility, where he reportedly faces new complaints, and postponed the hearing to 10 September.
The events of 25 October 2024
Aurora Tila left her apartment at via IV Novembre 56 in Piacenza around 8 a.m. on 25 October 2024, telling her mother she was meeting friends. Instead, she encountered her 15-year-old ex-boyfriend on the terrace of the adjacent building at number 58. A witness later told investigators he saw the teenager clinging to the balcony railing while the boy struck her knuckles with his knees until she lost her grip and fell from the seventh floor. The autopsy revealed several injuries and bruises that predated the fall, and investigators quickly dismissed the boy's initial claim that the girl had jumped voluntarily or slipped during an argument.
- Aurora Tila, 13, dies after falling from a seventh-floor balcony in Piacenza; her 15-year-old ex-boyfriend is arrested.
- Juvenile Court of Bologna convicts the defendant of aggravated murder and stalking, sentencing him to 17 years in prison.
- During the appeal hearing, the now 17-year-old confesses for the first time, apologising for the murder and his delayed admission.
- Next court hearing, postponed to allow a report on the defendant's conduct inside Catanzaro juvenile prison.
The Carabinieri established that the terraces of the two buildings provided access to the roof, which is where the meeting took place. The boy was arrested and charged with aggravated voluntary homicide; the aggravating factors included stalking, the victim’s minor age and the prior sentimental relationship.
Stalking, threats and a toxic relationship
The pair met on social media in 2023 and dated briefly before Aurora ended the relationship. According to evidence presented at trial, the boy became increasingly obsessive and possessive. Aurora confided in friends via messaging apps that she felt pursued and described being followed on several occasions. She also turned to an AI chatbot, asking ChatGPT to explain the difference between a healthy and a toxic relationship, a conversation later cited by judges in their written ruling as supporting the stalking charge.
Aurora's mother had contacted social services seeking intervention because of the boy’s behaviour. A former cellmate also testified during the first trial that the defendant privately confessed to pushing the girl, a detail that helped prosecutors build their case.
- Prosecutor's request
- 20.666 years
- First-instance sentence
- 17 years
- Defence request (acquittal)
- 0 years
First-instance conviction and the road to appeal
On 3 November 2025, the Juvenile Court of Bologna convicted the then-16-year-old under the abbreviated trial procedure. He received a 17-year sentence, less than the 20 years and 8 months requested by prosecutor Simone Purgato but well above the full acquittal his defence had sought. The judges’ reasoning highlighted a pattern of obsessive jealousy, constant threats and a “well-founded fear for her own safety” experienced by the victim.
The defence lodged an appeal, and proceedings restarted in mid-2026. Today's confession marks the first time the accused has acknowledged responsibility, but he did not reveal any details about motive or the precise sequence of events on the balcony.
What happens next
The Court of Appeal ordered a report on the defendant’s conduct in the Catanzaro juvenile prison, where he has allegedly been reported for various infractions. The next hearing is set for 10 September 2026. Aurora's family hopes the court will confirm the original 17-year sentence, viewing the belated admission as an attempt to reduce the penalty rather than a genuine step toward accountability.
