A teenage boy has confessed to pushing his 13-year-old former girlfriend to her death from a seventh-floor balcony, after months of claiming she had taken her own life. The admission came during his appeal against a 17-year prison sentence for the murder of Aurora Tila.
Confession During Appeal Hearing
The boy, who was 15 at the time of the killing in Piacenza, Italy, and 16 when initially sentenced, made the confession during a video link from a youth detention centre on Sunday, July 13. He also expressed remorse for taking Aurora's life and for delaying his confession. The appeal hearing has now been postponed until September.
Previous Claims and Evidence
The teenager had previously insisted that Aurora had taken her own life after falling from the building in October 2024. However, investigators stated that his version of events never aligned with the evidence. According to prosecutors, the pair had been in a relationship for several months before breaking up due to the boy's allegedly controlling behaviour.
Investigators also discovered messages in which Aurora reportedly told friends she felt harassed by her ex-boyfriend, described him as stalking her, and even sought advice from artificial intelligence on how to handle him. A witness reportedly told investigators they saw Aurora desperately clinging to the balcony railing while the boy struck her hands, leading to her tragic fall.
Legal Proceedings and Reactions
During the initial trial, a former cellmate alleged that the teenager confessed to pushing Aurora. He was subsequently found guilty of aggravated murder, with the court determining the crime was exacerbated by stalking, the victim's age, and the previous relationship between the two.
Emilio Malaspina, the lawyer representing Aurora's mother, said: "With confession a circle closes. But we hope that the court will confirm the sentence which established an appropriate penalty." Following Sunday's confession, Malaspina stated: "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."
Victim's Family Response
After Aurora's death, her older sister Viktoria publicly dismissed suggestions that she had killed herself. She claimed Aurora had been terrified of her ex-boyfriend and asserted there were messages indicating she feared him. The appeal proceedings are set to continue on September 10 as the court awaits a report on the teenager's behaviour.
