Wave of protest after murder in Italy

On 11 November, 22-year-old biomedical engineering student Giulia Cecchetin disappeared after meeting her ex-boyfriend Filippo Turetta at the mall to buy her graduation outfit. CCTV footage revealed Turetta beating Giulia in the car park.

On 18 November, Giulia was found brutally murdered, in the bottom of a ravine wrapped in black bags. The following day, after an international arrest warrant had been issued on suspicion of kidnap and murder, Turetta was arrested by German police officers after a passer-by had reported a car on the highway without its headlights on just outside Leipzig. Turetta has now been extradited to Italy and is in jail. Charges have not been finalised yet.

Data published by the interior minister shows that this is the 102nd case of femicide since the start of 2023, with a partner or ex-partner being the perpetrator in 52 of these cases. The most recent data by the UN show that globally, 26 per cent of women aged 15 and older have suffered violence from partners.

Elena Cecchetin, Giulia’s sister, in a letter to the Corriere chain of Italian newspapers, has written: “Femicide is a murder by the state because the state doesn’t protect us” and called for better sex education, funding for “anti-violence centres”, and “opportunity to seek help to those who need it”.

On 22 November students at Milan University held a “minute of chaos” flash mob in protest and remembrance of Giulia. Protests and vigils were held in other cities around Italy.

On 25 November, International Day Against Gendered Violence, Non-Una Di Meno (Not One Less) posted on their social media “Rome has been invaded, we are 500,000 strong”. On Saturday there were also thousands of protestors rallying in Paris in remembrance for Giulia and to call for more legislations in France to protect women from violence and abuse. They had a large banner that read “women are angry, stop violence: actions and resources now”.

Even the establishment Pope Francis, on X formerly known as Twitter, said “violence against women is a poisonous weed that plagues our society and must be pulled up from the roots”; those roots “must be countered with educational action”.

Far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has promised a new educational campaign for schools to tackle the prominent toxic culture of violence in Italy and said that she has already increased funding for domestic violence resources.

Elly Schlein, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, has said that the DP will “do its part” to make sure such measures go through, but also criticises Meloni for “choices against children and women”, for example over nursery provision.