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Student Dies After 'Face Set On Fire By Ex'

Student Dies After 'Face Set On Fire By Ex'

A university student was burned alive by her boyfriend after she dumped him, Italian authorities said.

Sara Di Pietrantonio, 22, died in Rome on Sunday after being attacked by Vincenzo Paduano, 27, prosecutor Maria Monteleone told reporters.

First he set fire to her car, then chased her about 100 metres as she tried to flee, setting her ablaze when he caught up with her, authorities said.

Investigators said her attacker used a cigarette lighter to set Ms Di Pietrantonio's face on fire after dousing her with alcohol.

"I can say that in 25 years in this work I have never seen something so atrocious," said Luigi Silipo, the lead police official in the investigation.

Paduano was being held on suspicion of premeditated murder, Ms Monteleone said.

The suspect first denied killing the woman, but after eight hours of interrogation, confessed to killing her, Mr Silipo told reporters.

"He couldn't accept the fact he was left by her when she ended the relationship," Mr Silipo said.

Investigators said Paduano, a security guard who had dated the victim for two years, had initially followed her car.

He then forced Ms Di Pietrantonio to pull over on a street in the outskirts of Rome, before he killed her.

A surveillance camera in the area captured some of the events, including cars that apparently passed by while the woman screamed for help.

Ms Monteleone added that if passers-by had helped, the woman's life might have been saved.