The wife of former Italy rugby international Andrea Benatti has been arrested on suspicion of murdering her two young children before attempting to take her own life.
The tragedy reportedly began in the family home in Suzzara, which is two hours south of Milan in Lombardy, where Antonella Barbieri claimed to have smothered her two-year-old daughter Kim with a pillow.
The former model reportedly then set off on a drive with her five-year-old son Lorenzo Zeus.
It has been reported that she then stabbed him with a kitchen knife before turning the weapon on herself, driving it into her stomach.
Barbieri was discovered in the car by a local before emergency services rushed to save her life.
Known to suffer from psychological issues, Barbieri initially refused to accept medical treatment at the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in Reggio Emilia, where she has been since Thursday.
She is said to be in a serious condition.
