The night of Tuesday, October 14th, will remain etched in horror in the fashion world’s memory. Around 10:00 PM, the young Italian model and entrepreneur Pamela Genini, 29, was murdered by her ex-fiancé, 52-year-old businessman Gianluca Soncin, after a stabbing attack that took place on the terrace of her apartment in the Gorla neighborhood, northeast of Milan.
The crime was classified as a femicide due to the way the events unfolded. According to Italian and international media reports, it all began around the aforementioned time when an argument quickly escalated. Neighbors in the building heard the model’s desperate screams and called the police.
The Milan Prosecutor’s Office, represented by prosecutor Alessia Menegazzo, described the incident as part of a pattern of harassment, control, and systematic violence by Soncin. Investigators point to the femicide as a premeditated act, as in recent months Pamela had expressed her intention to end the relationship and disappear from public life due to the tense and threatening atmosphere.
A former partner of the model told authorities that Genini had been suffering physical and psychological abuse from Soncin for several months. According to her testimony, starting in April 2025, she began to notice clear signs of abuse: bruises, marks on her face, and constant fear.
Pamela herself reportedly confided in him that Gianluca Soncin had tried to strangle her on one occasion and threatened her with a gun. On the night of the crime, desperate and aware of the imminent danger, Pamela contacted her ex-partner again for help. That call prompted the immediate notification to the police, who mobilized to the model’s building, but it was already too late.
Gianluca Soncin, 52, had a history of problematic cocaine use and opiate painkillers obtained without a prescription, in addition to a criminal record for violence against his ex-wife. According to the investigation, the man lived a life divided between the provinces of Ravenna and Milan, alternating between a seemingly normal life and episodes of instability and aggressive behavior.
