A teenage boy has admitted pushing his 13-year-old ex-girlfriend to her death from a seventh-floor balcony after months of insisting she took her own life.
The confession came during his appeal against a 17-year prison sentence for the murder of Aurora Tila.
The boy, who was 15 at the time of the killing in Piacenza, Italy, and 16 when first sentenced, made the admission during a video link from a juvenile prison on Sunday (13 July).
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He also apologised for killing Aurora and for waiting so long to confess.
The appeal hearing has now been adjourned until September, as reported by Need To Know.
Lawyer Emilio Malaspina, who represents Aurora’s mother, said: “With confession a circle closes.
“But we hope that the court will confirm the sentence which established an appropriate penalty.”
The teenager had previously maintained that Aurora had taken her own life after falling from the building in October 2024.
Investigators, however, said his account never matched the evidence.
According to prosecutors, the pair had been in a relationship for several months before separating because of the boy’s allegedly possessive behaviour.
Investigators also uncovered messages in which Aurora reportedly told friends she felt persecuted by her ex-boyfriend, described him as stalking her and even asked artificial intelligence for advice on how to deal with him.
A witness also told investigators they saw Aurora clinging to the balcony railing while the boy struck her hands, causing her to fall.
During the original trial, a former cellmate also claimed the teenager admitted pushing Aurora.
He was subsequently convicted of aggravated murder, with the court finding the offence was aggravated by stalking, the victim’s age and the former relationship between the pair.
Following Sunday’s confession, Malaspina said: “We have listened and taken note of something that, in reality, we already knew.
“This is a confession that came very late and it will be the court that will assess its weight during the discussion.
“If this confession were to serve to obtain a reduction in the sentence of three or four years, we believe that it would be unfair.”
Following Aurora’s death, her older sister Viktoria publicly rejected suggestions she had taken her own life.
She said Aurora had been afraid of her ex-boyfriend and claimed there were messages showing she feared him.
The appeal proceedings will resume on 10 September while the court awaits a report on the teenager’s behaviour.
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