Moroccan man kills his ex-fiancée’s brother in Udine

Financial dispute or emotional revenge? Details of the crime that rocked Udine

In a tragic incident that sent shockwaves through Italy, the city of Udine, in the northeast, became the scene of a brutal murder. The victim, 65-year-old Moroccan national Abdellatif Bensafian, was killed by a 32-year-old Moroccan man, in a case where greed and emotional vengeance became deeply intertwined.

Sequence of events and arrest of the suspect

The victim suffered seven fatal stab wounds in the Sant’Osvaldo district last Friday evening. Thanks to the swift response of the authorities, the Carabinieri succeeded in apprehending the suspect, Mohamed El Koufi, near the Basiliano train station just hours after the crime. He confessed to his involvement and directed investigators to the location of the weapon used.

The accused’s confession: “I want my dowry back”

During initial interrogations, the perpetrator justified his actions by citing a financial dispute with the brother of his former partner. El Koufi claimed he had paid 8,000 euros in two installments with the intention of marrying ‘Leila’, the victim’s daughter, to secure stability and a residence permit in Italy. He alleged that when the marriage plans failed, he demanded his money back, which was refused, leading him to commit the crime.

Investigators’ doubts and surprises in the case

Despite the suspect’s insistence on a financial motive, Italian authorities are not ruling out an underlying emotional motive. Investigators noted disturbing details, including the fact that the perpetrator burned the tattoo of his ex-girlfriend’s name off his arm after his arrest, and that he was already married in Morocco with five children. Suspicions deepened after police found a bag in his possession containing additional knives and a wig.

A complex legal future

The investigating judge in Udine decided on Tuesday, September 8, to keep the suspect in pre-trial detention, citing the risk of flight. Mohamed El Koufi currently faces charges of premeditated murder, as the prosecution weighs adding further enhancements to the charges while awaiting autopsy results to fully clarify the circumstances of the death.