Police in Colleferro arrest 69-year-old man after fatal stabbing of wife in family home

Fatal stabbing on via Cristoforo Colombo

A 50-year-old Polish national named Joanna was killed inside her apartment on via Cristoforo Colombo in Colleferro, in the metropolitan area of Rome, on Tuesday, 18 August 2026. The victim had lived in Colleferro for many years, where she built broad community ties and raised a large family. She had been married for roughly 20 years to a 69-year-old Tunisian national who had also resided in Italy for about two decades. On social platforms, the victim used her husband's surname, Rouissi, while authorities have not yet made her maiden name public. Investigators reported that the husband assaulted her with three to four knife strikes, with wounds concentrated around the throat and neck. The fatal attack occurred directly in front of the couple's youngest child, a 9-year-old boy.

Emergency alert and police detention

The alarm was raised at approximately 15:30 when the couple's eldest daughter, aged 20, returned to the residence and discovered her mother severely injured. The daughter immediately called 112 and 118 to summon emergency medical help and law enforcement. Paramedics arrived rapidly at the via Cristoforo Colombo apartment, but resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful, and the woman died at the scene from her wounds. Officers from the Colleferro police station arrived to secure the premises and establish a perimeter around the apartment block. Shortly after the initial call, state police intercepted the 69-year-old husband on foot in the streets near the home. Officers took the suspect into custody without incident and transported him directly to the Colleferro police station.

Confession and prosecutorial investigation

During interrogation at the police station, the 69-year-old suspect confessed to carrying out the fatal assault. Investigators noted that the couple had experienced ongoing marital friction and conflict accompanied by unaddressed episodes of violence over recent years. The Velletri Public Prosecutor's Office, led by Chief Prosecutor Carlo Villani, formally opened an investigation into femicide. A duty prosecutor went directly to the residence alongside forensic investigators from the scientific police to inspect the crime scene. Technical specialists gathered evidence inside the apartment to establish the sequence of the attack and locate the knife used in the killing. Police maintained the suspect under formal detention while judicial authorities processed the confession and prepared procedural filings.

Municipal reaction and family support

The killing drew immediate mourning across Colleferro, where residents, colleagues, and acquaintances shared messages of grief and anger. Colleferro Mayor Giulio Calamita addressed the circumstances in remarks to news agency LaPresse, noting earlier warning signs within the household.

From what we can understand, the lady was quite well known in the area and by several families in Colleferro. From what emerges, in some way there were signs of this situation that, however, evidently escaped notice or were not considered so dangerous.

Calamita noted that the killing represents the first femicide remembered in the modern history of Colleferro. The mayor stated that the suspect had psychological issues and pledged that the municipal administration would provide comprehensive assistance to the couple's five children, which include three teenagers and the 9-year-old boy. Local social services began coordinating immediate welfare and psychological support for the surviving children as community members reacted to the tragedy.