Italy is facing a fresh femicide wave with six women killed by their partners or exes since the mid-August Ferragosto holiday on Saturday.

The latest two were on Tuesday, a 72-year-old woman stoned to death by her 74-year-old husband in a field near Cosenza in Calabria and a 50-year-old Polish woman stabbed to death by her 69-year-old Tunisian husband at Colleferro south of Rome.

Previously, on Monday, a 39-year-old woman was killed by her 43-tyear-old ex husband near Venice after having reported him to police several times for domestic violence, and after it emerged that he had been reported by three other women since 2002.

Femicide has been classed as a national emergency in Italy with murderous violence against women hitting new heights.

A specific new offence of femicide has been put onto the country’s law books.

A campaign of education for young males towards healthy relationships was partly stymied when the government made it conditional on parent approval to take part.in courses in Italy’s schools.