A year ago in San Sperate a femicide occurred, but no one knew about it. We should have waited until July, when the case ended up in the spotlight of regional and national news , to discover the first details of an event that still today represents a wound in the heart of the community. A community that in 12 months, shaken by a femicide, seems to have changed . "But this will be seen later", as specified by the mayor Fabrizio Madeddu, referring not only to his town. " Today the wound is open, but the challenge is to never forget . And who knows if it is a challenge that we will be able to win".
Francesca Deidda and Igor Sollai are names that any San Sperate resident knows today, but not a year ago: the couple's acquaintances in the town were few, very few. After all, they were not originally from San Sperate: she was from Elmas, he was from Assemini, and according to the municipal papers they were officially transferred in 2012. When the news of the husband's arrest broke, two months had already passed . "But how is it possible that in a town that is still small, no one knew?", the mayor asked himself in September, during the initiative that saw the birth of a plant in Francesca's memory. "Perhaps that sense of community that leads us to trust our neighbors, our neighborhood, has disappeared. Perhaps we need to go back in this regard." Yet the community seems to have changed today, not only because those two names, Francesca and Igor, are very well known, having entered the common vocabulary of citizens: since July there have been many initiatives that have sought to spark dialogue and raise awareness among citizens and others on the issues of femicide and gender violence. But was it enough?
"Today, public opinion is obviously very well informed, and it's easy to say clichés," reflects Madeddu. "I don't want to be misunderstood, the community has been sensitive from the start. The wound is still open for all of us. Of course, we all want justice, of course, things like this shouldn't happen. But then, after the trial, will we talk about it again? Once justice is done, will Francesca's femicide leave us with something? Will it have changed our minds? Will we really be better? And I'm not just talking about my fellow citizens, it's a broader issue. I hope so, but sometimes I wonder if what's happening now isn't just stadium cheering. I really hope I'm wrong and as an administrator I'll do everything I can to ensure this doesn't happen."
