An Ethiopian refugee who was hailed as a symbol of integration in Italy, Agitu Gudeta, has been killed on her farm in the northern region of Trentino, Italian police say.
A Ghanaian employee has been arrested in connection with her rape and and murder “for money”, the Italian news agency Ansa reported.
There is no independent confirmation of the report.
She fled Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, in 2010 after her participation in protests against “land-grabbing” angered local authorities.
She made Italy her home, making goat’s cheese and beauty products on her farm on previously abandoned land in Trentino.
In a 2018 interview with the Reuters news agency, she said she had started her business with 15 goats. She had 180 by 2018 when she became a well-known figure.
“I created my space and made myself known, there was no resistance to me,” she was quoted as saying.