Italy Protests Against Gender-Based Violence Following University Student’s Murder

Italy Protests Against Gender-Based Violence Following University Student’s Murder – In the wake of a university student’s death earlier this month, tens of thousands of Italians have flocked to the streets to demand an end to violence against women.

The ex-boyfriend of Giulia Cecchettin allegedly murdered her just days before she was to receive her diploma.

Milan and Naples saw large crowds, but Rome’s central business district was a traffic nightmare.

Women’s murders must end, according to Italy’s president.

“Dramatic news stories have shaken the country’s conscience,” Sergio Mattarella stated in a statement commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

He went on to say that violence against women was a societal failing and that no civilized society could ever tolerate or accept such a spate of assaults and killings.

The Italian Ministry of the Interior reports that 106 women have been murdered in Italy this year, with 55 of those victims targeted by a current or former spouse.

The killing of 22-year-old biomedical engineering student Ms. Cecchettin, who was about to graduate from the University of Padua last week, has sparked widespread public outrage and introspection, setting the stage for the demonstrations.

To bring attention to the issues of patriarchy and gender-based violence in Italy, the day was scheduled to include a variety of activities, such as processions, marches, races, flash mobs, sit-ins, and even free gynecological exams.

On this day, Gino Cecchettin—the father of Ms. Cecchettin—spoke to students at the University of Padua and dedicated a crimson seat to the memory of all women who have been victims of abuse.

“Nothing will bring Giulia back, but I want many good initiatives to come out of her death,” he commented.

While shopping for her graduation gown with Filippo Turetta on November 11th, Ms. Cecchettin vanished.

According to the investigating judge, surveillance tape showed 22-year-old Mr. Turetta physically abusing his ex-girlfriend in a parking lot outside her home in Vigonovo, close to Venice, after the duo had vanished.

Her lifeless body was discovered in a ditch.

After an international arrest order was issued and a manhunt was initiated, Mr. Turetta was apprehended near Leipzig in Germany.

There have been no official charges against him since Saturday afternoon when he returned to Italy.

Corriere del Veneto reports that he is now being held in a Verona prison and that a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

The first female prime minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, has spoken out against the persistent problem of domestic abuse in her nation.

She claims that a culture of misogynistic violence is still prevalent in Italy, and to address this, she has pledged a new school-based instructional program.