He thrust his wife's head into the oven, punched his daughter and threatened to kill the dog by pointing a knife at its throat.

These are just some of the episodes of abuse in the family of which a 60-year-old from Castellarano, in the province of Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, is accused. 

The man was arrested this morning by the police.

The Public Prosecutor's Office requested and obtained from the investigating judge the application of pre-trial detention in prison.

According to what was reconstructed by the investigators, the man had been mistreating his 60-year-old wife and 35-year-old daughter for at least two years.

It seems that the violence occurred for trivial reasons.

As Istat photographs, the first reason for murders in Italy is precisely that for "quarrels, futile reasons, personal grudges" (45.9%).