A tourist from Melbourne, Australia, has described being kidnapped on two separate occasions within a single day while on holiday in Sicily, Italy. The 36-year-old woman, identified only as Stephanie, was in Italy to explore the country's one-euro house program.
Stephanie was staying in the town of Lo Stangnone and joined a kiteboarding group meet-up. She accepted a ride from an individual she believed was part of the group to travel to a nearby bar, which was supposed to be about a kilometer away. However, she reported that the driver sped off, ignoring her requests to stop. She stated that the car reached speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour on narrow Sicilian roads.
After approximately 12 kilometers, the vehicle entered a gated compound. Stephanie, who had discreetly texted her location to her kiteboarding instructor, managed to open the car door and fled. She ran until she found a place to hide and confirmed she was not being followed. She then made her way to a nearby town and sought assistance from a security guard, using a translation app on her phone to explain her situation. The guard agreed to drive her back to her hotel.
Upon reaching what she thought was safety, the security guard allegedly pulled over in a poorly lit area and asked Stephanie, "What are you going to do for me for driving you home?" She described this as a moment where her "stomach dropped," believing she was about to experience another abduction. It was around 1:30 a.m. at this point. She reportedly found the car door unlocked, exited the vehicle, and hid in a vineyard until she saw the man's car drive away.
Stephanie eventually made her way back to her hotel by staying out of sight of oncoming headlights. The experience has left her shaken and has impacted her plans to purchase or renovate a home in Italy, a dream she has put on hold due to feeling unsafe traveling alone. She reflected that while the incident occurred in Italy, such dangers are not isolated to any one country, drawing parallels to domestic violence rates and incidents affecting women in Australia.
