Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
Filippo Turetta was handed a life sentence yesterday for stabbing to death his ex-girlfriend, bringing a note of justice to a femicide case that has gripped Italy.
Last November, the body of 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin was found wrapped in black plastic bags in a ditch near Venice. Her murderer was arrested in Germany and said he killed her “because she didn’t want to get back with him”.
Tens of thousands took to the streets after Cecchettin’s sister spoke out to condemn a “patriarchal society steeped in rape culture”. Cecchettin was the 105th of 117 victims of femicide in 2023.
France and the UK have reported similar numbers in recent years, but comparable data in Europe is scarce. Italy’s anti-violence helpline has reported a 57 per cent rise in calls in the year since Cecchettin’s death.
