The disappearance of Valentina Greco, a 42-year-old Italian woman residing in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, has raised alarm. Greco, originally from Cagliari, vanished abruptly nine days ago after her last phone call with her mother on July 9. Initial concerns were muted due to smartphone connectivity issues, but her prolonged silence prompted her family—newspaper kiosk owners in Cagliari—to launch a social media appeal through expatriate groups.
Her brother, Alessio Greco, 44, will travel to Tunisia this weekend to investigate. “Fragmented information, worsened by translation barriers, leaves me no choice but to see firsthand,” he told ANSA. He confirmed coordination with Italian Embassy officials and Tunisian police but emphasized: “Her silence is entirely out of character. We fear she may be detained or harmed.”
Key concerns include Greco’s health—she requires daily anticoagulants after surviving a life-threatening pulmonary embolism—and a recent incident where she reportedly rejected romantic advances from a local man. “The man works near her home,” Alessio disclosed, noting this is part of ongoing investigations but ruling out religious conversion as a motive: “She admired local culture but championed women’s rights.”
Tunisian police searched her apartment, finding it orderly but noting her computer and phone were missing. The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed its embassy in Tunis is pursuing the case “with utmost attention,” formally urging Tunisian authorities to act and attempting contact using provided numbers—all unanswered.
Greco’s mother revealed her daughter’s last words were about fixing phone issues, adding: “We haven’t slept or eaten. Her medication is critical—if injured, she risks internal bleeding.” While hospitals typically notify embassies about Italian patients, the family worries she might be unconscious and unidentified.
No leads have emerged despite intense efforts by family, friends, and diplomats.
© Copyright ANSA. All rights reserved.