A 35-year-old man from Italy who spent around 24 years searching for his long-lost brother is now seriously ill in the hospital after his sibling stabbed him in bed after breaking into his house.
Martin Rabanser says he woke up to find his brother Ivo swinging his knife at him repeatedly.
Nicola Nettis, the lawyer of Martin, said:
After 24 years, Martin didn’t recognise his attacker and cried out: ‘Who are you? What do you want?’ Ivo replied: ‘I’m your brother – don’t you recognise me?’
The incident happened in Selva di val Gardena in the Italian Alps.
The incident happened during the first meeting of the brothers.
Ivo, who is now 42, left their house at 18 after the death of their father.
Talking about the incident, Nettis said:
One theory is that Ivo was angry about the terms of their inheritance from their father, which included the house Martin still lives in, and has been nurturing a grudge ever since. But most people handle this through lawyers – they don’t vanish for two decades then show up with a hunting knife.
Ivo went missing in 1997 and after that, his family did everything that they can to find the brother.
They took their matter to the Italian TV and issued multiple appeals for him to return, however, there was no sign.
The police recently found out that the elder brother was sleeping rough in Verona and was working on a part time work. He also worked in a local library, where he built up and extensive knowledge of literature.
The authorities currently believe that he arrived back to him in the home-town area on a bike and decided to live in the local woods, where he was said to have been watching his brother, who is now a ski resort employee.
The victim lives with his wife and his nine-year-old son.
Explaining what happened, Nettis said:
He waited for night and broke in through the garage wearing camouflage and carrying at least two knives. He went to the bedroom and started stabbing his brother in the chest. He didn’t speak or make threats.
The publication also said that Martin’s wife tried to intervene.
Ivo was questioned by the police about the incident.
He told them:
I felt a huge rage inside towards my brother but I didn’t want to kill him. I stayed alone with him while he was in agony on the bed and I could’ve finished him but instead I went to the kitchen, which is where the police found me.
Nettis said that Martin was stabbed in the lung but is now off the danger list.
He added:
Ivo may be playing it down but stabbing someone in the chest repeatedly is attempted murder. The mystery is why he did it.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the brother that got stabbed, may he recover from his injuries fast.