Crime
Australian Influencer Kidnapped Twice in One Night During Solo Sicily Trip
An Australian woman holidaying alone in Sicily endured a terrifying ordeal when she was kidnapped twice in a single night, escaping both times by fleeing on foot. Stephanie, a Melbourne-based executive known for sharing DIY home renovation videos on social media, had travelled to Europe with friends last October. After her friends returned home, she decided to continue the journey solo, drawn to the town of Lo Stagnone near Marsala for its popular kiteboarding scene.
What began as a friendly evening with fellow kiteboarders turned into a nightmare when Stephanie accepted a ride from a foreign expat she assumed was part of the group. Instead of following the others, the driver sped off along narrow Sicilian roads, ignoring her pleas to stop and claiming he wanted to test the car's speed. Stephanie quietly shared her location with her kiteboarding instructor while the driver's own passenger appeared equally unsettled. When the car finally entered a gated compound, she found the door unlocked and ran, hiding until she was certain no one was following.
After reaching a small town, Stephanie encountered a security guard and used a translation app to explain her situation. He offered to drive her back to her hotel, but instead pulled into a dark alleyway and used her phone to type a disturbing message, asking what she would do for him in return for the lift. Once again finding the door unlocked, she fled into a nearby vineyard. She walked back on foot, hiding from passing headlights and stopping at vending machines so her movements could be traced if necessary.
Stephanie eventually made it safely to her hotel, spending the entire next day in tears before confiding in her kiteboarding friends, who were horrified by her experience. She emphasised that the ordeal was not about Italy specifically, noting the first perpetrator was a European expat rather than a local, and pointed out that women often face greater dangers in Australia. Her plans to buy a house in Italy are now on hold, and she says she would not return for a project unless accompanied by someone she trusts.
