Giulia Cecchettin , a student, a daughter, a friend of all, a symbol of beauty of soul and altruism. This is his legacy.
Yesterday evening, Sunday 7 July , one of the stages in Porto Torres of the Entula festival , in the Atrio Metropoli in the shadow of the basilica of San Gavino , a large audience gathered to attend the presentation of the book "Dear Giulia - what I learned from my daughter" with the author Gino Cecchettin who spoke with the journalist Gianni Garrucciu, a text written with Marco Franzoso.
In the book the drama of a father, the pain of the loss of Giulia, a special girl killed at 22 by her ex-boyfriend Filippo Turetta , a family already affected by a serious bereavement, the death of Monica in 2022, Cecchettin's wife, and the theme of male violence against women, the values transmitted to young people.
«Giulia should have graduated on the Thursday of that terrible week», says her father, «a hard-earned degree with good grades, every parent's dream. Instead that week turned into a nightmare."
Killed on Saturday 11 November, her body was found on the 18th near Lake Barcis, in the province of Pordenone. «On the morning of Monday 13th I hoped that an accident had happened, because I knew that the other option would have been worse. As the hours passed I realized that I would never see Giulia again. That day I cried more than ever."
A tragedy that leaves traces in the hearts of his father, sister Elena and brother Davide. «I wrote this book for Giulia, thanks to her teaching I understood that I had to create something from the drama. Every parent wants to outlive their children, but I wasn't given that chance. That's why I decided to write."
23 days before the funeral. A very long time.
«In these three weeks I understood that Giulia had become everyone's daughter, with her simplicity she had entered every home . After the great pain I had thought of locking myself in the house to suffer in solitude. Instead, the presence of ten thousand people at the funeral with keys jingling in their hands made me understand that Giulia had become a symbol. A gift that pushed me to do something for girls and women who are victims of violence."
The Giulia Foundation, which Cecchettin is promoting, will have this objective.
«Do something so that even one Giulia is saved», he continues, «making my experience as a parent available, telling about Giulia who didn't realize she was being raped, but thought she was the one causing pain to Filippo. She was aware that this was not the man of her life, so she had decided to change her path. His right that he paid for with his life."
Sister Elena Cecchettin was the first to talk about the origin of the evil that affects many men, possession, psychological violence and the lack of freedom suffered by many women. Father Gino's response was not anger or revenge. «Giulia, with her altruism, taught me not to respond with violence. She created value."
Another lesson came from a priest, the parish priest of Vigonovo “Don G.” who showed him the way to deal with the immense pain of losing his daughter.
«I'm not a believer, but I share goodness and I have learned to respect others. The parish priest of Vigonovo, who I met when he saw that I was reduced to a rag, invited me to tackle a route on foot and as a good, fairly competitive walker, I accepted. In the Dolomites we began the walk with the cold and gray sky. Once we reached the summit we saw the sun, the shining light, a spectacle."
A metaphor for life, the meaning of how our existence changes: from malaise to life expectancy.
A story full of emotions, highly evocative, culminating with a song dedicated to Giulia, written and sung by the author, Antonio Meleddu (aka Bandito), together with Daniela Cossiga.