Teenage boy in Milan confesses to fatally stabbing family
17-year-old confesses to stabbing family, citing feeling like a foreign body
![Italian Carabinieri patrol outside the house where a 17-year-old boy killed his brother and parents in Paderno Dugnano near Milan, northern Italy, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. Italian prosecutors on Monday said a 17-year-old high school student who confessed to stabbing to death his 12-year-old brother and parents had been suffering a general sense of “malaise,” but has been unable to provide a motive for a triple homicide that has shocked Italians. (Marco Ottico/Lapresse via AP).](https://thethaiger.com/world/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Italy_Triple_Murder_24245406346131-scaled.jpg)
A 17-year-old boy in Milan has confessed to fatally stabbing his family on September 1. The victims included his 51-year-old father, 48-year-old mother, and 12-year-old brother.
Prosecutors revealed the teen began by stabbing his sleeping brother. His mother, alerted by her younger son’s cries, entered the room and was attacked next. The father, unaware his son was the assailant, called for help but was also stabbed by the teenager.
![Forensic Police inspect the house where a 17-year-old boy killed his brother and parents in Paderno Dugnano near Milan, northern Italy, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. Italian prosecutors on Monday said a 17-year-old high school student who confessed to stabbing to death his 12-year-old brother and parents had been suffering a general sense of “malaise,” but has been unable to provide a motive for a triple homicide that has shocked Italians. (Marco Ottico/Lapresse via AP).](https://thethaiger.com/world/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Italy_Triple_Murder_24245406434424-300x200.jpg)
The teen allegedly told police, “I stabbed dad while he was yelling at me to call for help,” and added, “I thought one stab would be enough to kill, then I realised it wasn’t like that.” He reportedly inflicted multiple neck wounds on his father, stating he did not want his family “to suffer.”
After the attack, the teenager called the police, admitting to the murders. Officers found him sitting on a wall outside, covered in blood. Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported that the victims had a total of 68 stab wounds, predominantly around their necks.
![Flowers in front of the gate near the scene of the triple homicide in Milan, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP).](https://thethaiger.com/world/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Italy_Triple_Murder_24246545672645-300x200.jpg)
Before the killings, the teenager had been listening repeatedly to The Beatles’ song ‘The Long and Winding Road’. He told police he felt like an outsider in his family, saying, “There is no real reason why I killed them. I felt like a foreign body in my family. Oppressed. I thought that by killing them all I would free myself from this discomfort.” However, he admitted that he realised this was not true shortly after the murders.
The shocking crime has left Italy in mourning. Sociologist Massimo Crepet told Il Messaggero that the family unit was “shattered,” and noted that many parents do not know where their children are on Saturday nights.
![Juvenile prosecutor Sabrina DItaranto speaks at a press conference about a 17-year-old high school student who confessed to stabbing to death his 12-year-old brother and parents, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Milan. (Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP).](https://thethaiger.com/world/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Italy_Triple_murder_24246422126324-300x200.jpg)
Milan juvenile prosecutor Sabrina Ditaranto stated there was “no real motive,” and that the teen understood he had done something irreversible. She said, “The boy expressed his own discomfort, not related to the family. From a judicial point of view, we do not have a technically valid motive. From a sociological and psychological point of view, obviously, the investigations are open.”
A father of one of the teenager’s classmates described the family as “fantastic” and “happy.” He recalled, “He went to school with my daughter, elementary and middle school. We vacationed together. I saw the father a month ago for the last time. We spent good days together in the past.”
What Other Media Are Saying
- The Sun reports that a 17-year-old Italian boy confessed to murdering his parents and younger brother following their family’s birthday celebration. (read more)
- ANSA reports a 17-year-old confesses to killing his entire family of four after a birthday celebration, with discrepancies in the initial version of events and ongoing investigations. (read more)
- AP News reports on the shocking triple murder committed by a 17-year-old Italian student, who stabbed his 12-year-old brother and both parents, leaving Italy in disbelief. (read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What happened in the Milan family stabbing incident?
A 17-year-old confessed to stabbing his parents and younger brother to death in their home.
Why did the teen kill his family in Milan?
The teen claimed he felt like an outsider and thought killing them would free him from discomfort.
How did the authorities find out about the Milan stabbing?
The teen called the police himself and confessed to the murders.
What did the teen do after the murders?
He called the police and waited outside, covered in his family’s blood.
Was there a clear motive for the Milan family murder?
Authorities have not found a technically valid motive; the teen expressed feelings of being oppressed.