An African migrant is in custody, suspected of throwing a German girl off a cliff in Italy after possibly attempting to rape her, authorities say.

Law student Alena Sudakova, 21, was on holiday in Italy when she was discovered badly injured after a fall of approximately 230 feet from a cliff near the coastal town of Sanremo, according to reports, in an incident that occurred at the end of July but has received little media coverage until recently.

A 32-year-old North African man identified as Zied Yakoubi was also discovered at the scene, having reportedly fallen some distance himself, and was taken into custody under suspicion of attempted murder and attempted rape, investigator Barbara Bresci has confirmed.

Italian media reports that the suspect was in Italy illegally.

"A witness heard screams in the wee hours of the morning and witnessed a fight in which a woman was beaten," reports HNA, referencing Italian media. "He did not contact the police."

The suspect claims he and Sudakova had "spent the evening together," enjoying drinks at a local bar before she fell from the cliff, his lawyer says, also asserting Yakoubi attempted to save her, but remembers little else from the evening.

An additional odd detail that has raised questions is that fact that Sudakova's "long hair" had reportedly been "cut off" when her body was discovered, and accounts in Italian media indicate she may have been thrown off the cliff by her hair.

A video report posted by German media outlet HR Fernsehen and translated by Vlad Tepes blog offers further insight into the tragedy, as Alena was just recently revived from an artificially-induced coma, but remains unresponsive.

"Alena's family believes she was abducted, raped and pushed off the cliff," reports HR Fernsehen, adding the family fears Alena may never fully recover from her injuries, which include brain trauma, according to doctors.

Alena's family hopes to soon transport her home to Germany and has also filed a criminal complaint there, which will hinge upon the findings of Italian authorities.