Overview
- The 20-year-old student, Sofia Barillà, was found dead in her apartment in Caldas da Rainha on Monday while taking part in a six-month Erasmus exchange.
- Portuguese police are leading the inquiry and authorities have said an autopsy is likely to be carried out to determine how she died.
- Italy's foreign ministry (Farnesina) and the embassy in Lisbon are assisting the family and helped her parents travel from Palermo to Portugal.
- Early reports from news agencies including Adnkronos have suggested natural causes but that possibility has not been confirmed by investigators.
- The Erasmus programme places students across Europe and cases of deaths abroad trigger local forensic procedures and consular support that will produce the official findings.