Filippo Turetta, who disappeared a week ago, was arrested on Sunday in Germany after the body of his ex-girlfriend, Giulia Cecchettin, was discovered.
Throughout the week, the smiling face of Giulia Cecchettin made the headlines.
The 22-year-old engineering student from Veneto disappeared on November 11 with her ex-boyfriend, 22-year-old Filippo Turetta.
On Saturday, the body of Giulia Cecchettin was found at the bottom of a ravine with at least 20 stab wounds to the head and neck, covered with several black bags.
This discovery was made shortly after the broadcast of a video where we see Filippo Turetta beating Giulia Cecchettin. The authorities suspect Filippo Turetta of having murdered his former partner, before fleeing the country.
On Sunday, Flippo Turetta was arrested near Leipzig, Germany, almost 1,000 km from the crime scene, where he fled in his car.
While an international arrest warrant had been issued against him, the 22-year-old young man was finally arrested thanks to a German motorist who called the police, after noticing that Filippo Turetta was parked on the highway with all his lights on. extinguished, without even knowing that he was wanted for murder.
According to Italian newspapers, he no longer had money to pay for gasoline.
Flippo Turetta is currently detained in Germany, but is expected to be extradited to Italy, where he will be tried for intentional homicide.
‘A worthy heir to the patriarchy’
The case has sparked great anger in Italy, where the murder of Giulia Cecchettin is being described as “femicide”, although the country does not legally recognize the killing of a woman because of her gender as a separate crime.
According to data from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, Giulia Cecchettin is the 102nd victim of femicide in the country since the start of the year. 52 of these women were killed by a partner or former partner.
Elena Cecchettin, Giulia’s sister, spoke to the public and media to link Giulia’s murder to a patriarchal culture of violence and control against women, which normalizes toxic behavior by men like Filippo Turetta.
During the week spent tracking down the two students, disturbing details about their relationship came to light. It appeared that Filippo Turetta was manipulative, jealous and obsessive.
According to these sources he frequently checked Giulia Cecchettin’s phone, texted or called her constantly when she was not with him, and was allegedly jealous that she graduated before him. He would have refused to accept that Giulia Cecchettin ended their relationship.
“Filippo Turetta is often described as a monster, but he is not a monster”, entrusts Elena Cecchettin in interviews, as well as in an editorial in the Italian newspaper, “Corriere”.
“A monster is an exception, a person who is outside of society, a person for whom society does not need to take responsibility. But there is responsibility. Monsters are not sick, they are the worthy heirs of patriarchy and rape culture”she adds.
“Femicide is a murder committed by the state because the state does not protect us. (…) We must finance anti-violence centers and give those who need it the opportunity to ask for help . For Giulia, do not make a minute of silence, but burn everything”.
Several demonstrations and vigils took place across Italy on Sunday, while a larger demonstration is planned for November 25 in Rome, to mark the International Day Against Violence Against Women. On Tuesday, schools across Italy will observe a minute of silence in tribute to Giulia Cecchettin.
Promises of change
“We all wished Giulia was still alive, but unfortunately our worst fears came true. She was killed. I feel great anger and sadness.”, said Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, after the discovery of Giulia Cecchettin’s body on Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Italian leader promised a new education campaign in schools to eradicate the toxic culture of violence that persists in the country.
Giorgia Meloni also stressed that she had already increased funds allocated to women’s shelters and anti-violence centers. Elly Schlein, secretary of the Democratic Party (PD), leader of the opposition, assured that she was willing to collaborate with the government to adopt more regulations aimed at combating femicide and violence against women in Italy.
A bill aimed at strengthening measures to combat gender-based violence in Italy will be presented to the Senate on Wednesday.
