The phenomenon of the many young people who are lured via the internet and then disappear also affects Sardinia. This and other equally important issues were discussed during the second conference entitled "Missing" promoted by the "Ammentu" association in Sassari and dedicated to missing persons, during which the speakers underlined the phenomenon of psychological manipulation and sexual exploitation .
The web is often a trap in which many young people fall, especially the most fragile ones and victims of discomfort.
The meeting, organized at the Palazzo della Provincia thanks to funding from the Foundation of Sardinia, was attended by the general of the carabinieri Luciano Garofano, the lawyer Gianfranco Piscitelli, the psychiatrist Alessandra Nivoli and father Salvatore Morittu.
Why does a teenager decide to lose their tracks? The answer, explained Nivoli, is difficult and linked to a series of contributing causes. There are many actors involved, from the family to the friendly context to the web. The most alarming phenomenon is what is known as "grooming", that is, solicitation through psychological manipulation techniques whose ultimate purpose is to sexually exploit the child. Even affiliation with a sect can be a reason for the removal of young people: “To avoid all this - said the psychiatrist - we need to interpret the silences of young people. Silences that represent wounds and secret voices ”.
Piscitelli, who is also president of Penelope Sardegna non-profit organization, recalled some emblematic Sardinian cases, and emphasized the motivations within the family, and the importance of knowing how to "read" the testimonies of relatives and friends, which are not always complete and not always true.
From verbal to biological and computerized documentation, the report by Garofano (former commander of the Ris di Parma) highlighted how science has made great strides over time. Today we are able to analyze even the invisible clues of the missing person but "the rescue machine, most of the time belated, does not show itself up to scientific progress".
Father Morittu spoke of his forty years of therapeutic experience with drug addicts and AIDS patients, thanks to his Mondo X-Sardegna association: “We have lost entire generations of young people - he said -. We help the relatives of those who die to make sense of the disappearance of their loved ones ”. The lawyer Antonello Spada, president of the Forensic Order of Oristano, who was entrusted with the closing of the debate, finally confirmed the "gaps and investigative cumbersome" when it comes to tracking down those who, voluntarily or forcedly, disappear from physical radar and emotional community.
