Main points
- 18-year-old Ukrainian Maria Bugayeva was found hanged in a wooded area of Brindisi four days after she disappeared.
- The investigation suggests suicide; the girl's body was found in a hard-to-reach place with no signs of violence.
Ukrainian student likely committed suicide in Italy / Quotidiano Nazionale
After four days of searching in a wooded area in Brindisi, Italy, 18-year-old Ukrainian student Maria Bugayeva was found hanged.
The girl was in a tourist village in the southern Italian region of Apulia as part of a European project with the Comenius University in Bratislava, Channel 24 reports, citing La Stampa.
What the investigation says
According to the information released, the girl's body was found in a tree in a rural area near road 379, less than half an hour's walk from the village of Carovigno. She was found by firefighter dogs.
Earlier, cameras recorded Maria's movements as she walked along a dirt road leading to the place where her body was found. It is known that searches were already underway in this area, but the girl could not be found.
According to Italian media, the body was in a hard-to-reach place. Investigators say the condition of the body suggests the 18-year-old likely committed suicide on the day she disappeared.
There is still uncertainty about the reasons for what happened. Those who knew her at work described the young woman as quiet and reserved, the article says.
She is also described as an introvert because while other young people who were also interning at local institutions were grouped together and often saw each other in the evenings outside of work, she was usually left alone.
They remind us that before this she left personal belongings in her room, in particular identity documents, money and phone numbers. They found a mobile phone on her, which was confiscated by the police.
The girl's relatives have already been informed about this tragedy, and through the consulate they are trying to speed up the process of the arrival of Maria's parents, who should arrive in the next few hours.
“A preliminary forensic examination has not revealed any signs of violence. The prosecutor will have to decide whether to order an autopsy or hand over the body for burial,” the journalists add.
By the way, a few hours before her disappearance, she received confirmation that her internship would end on July 6 without the possibility of continuing it. It is assumed that this event could have upset 18-year-old Maria.
