A woman, aged 33, was fatally stabbed by her former partner who had removed his court-ordered ankle monitor to evade restrictions preventing contact with her. Jessica Stappazzollo Custodio de Lima endured 27 stab wounds at the residence of her ex-partner in Castelnuovo del Garda, Verona, Italy, between October 27 and October 28. The victim, originally from Brazil but residing in Italy as a shop assistant, suffered fatal injuries with four stab wounds to her chest, leading to haemorrhagic shock from two heart wounds, as revealed by the autopsy.
Reports from Italian media detailed that the ex-partner, Douglas Reis Pedroso, a Brazilian national, admitted to the murder of Jessica. During interrogation by investigating judge Paola Vacca at the Verona Court, Pedroso confessed to the crime, leading to his arrest and subsequent pre-trial detention.
Prosecutors disclosed that Pedroso, 41, had tampered with the ankle monitor designed to prevent him from approaching Jessica, but the victim’s alarm did not alert authorities, and the device was later discovered hidden. The inadequacy of the surveillance system has raised concerns regarding its effectiveness in cases of high-risk individuals. Pedroso had previously faced charges of mistreatment and physical harm against Jessica, with incidents documented since August 2024.
In a prior incident in April, Pedroso was apprehended for assaulting Jessica by throwing her to the ground, dragging her by her hair, and causing injuries with punches and car keys. Following this, he was fitted with an ankle monitor and instructed to maintain a distance of 500 meters from Jessica. However, at the time of his recent arrest, it was found that the monitoring device was inactive.
According to reports from TGCOM24, Pedroso informed the Carabinieri, Italy’s national gendarmerie, of his intention to commit suicide on the night between Sunday and Monday. Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered Jessica’s lifeless body in Pedroso’s residence. Subsequently, they recovered the knife used in the attack from Pedroso’s vehicle, as indicated by the publication.
An article from Corriere del Veneto revealed that the residence contained six doses of cocaine and multiple alcohol bottles. Pedroso had a history of DUI convictions and was known for excessive drug consumption by law enforcement.
Pedroso was arrested in Valeggio sul Mincio and transferred to Montorio prison in Verona. During questioning, he admitted to killing his ex-partner but claimed memory loss due to drug influence.
Lawyer Adrian Hila described Pedroso as deeply shaken after his apprehension. Jessica’s sister, Laiza Stappazzollo, criticized law enforcement for not intervening earlier despite receiving reports of Pedroso’s violence toward Jessica. She mentioned that Jessica had withdrawn her complaints out of fear after reporting Pedroso to the police. Expressing grief and frustration over the incident, Ciro Maschio, Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies’ Justice Committee, announced the government’s pending legislation to enhance protections for victims of violent crimes, including stricter bans on approaching victims and increased support for anti-violence centers.