The trial of Filippo Turetta, accused of the brutal murder of his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend Giulia Cecchettin, began in Venice on Monday.
The case, which shook Italy and underscored the nation’s ongoing problem with femicide and gender-based violence, has drawn widespread attention.
Turetta, also 22, confessed to stabbing Cecchettin to death on November 11, 2023, in Fossò, near Venice. The murder occurred just days before Cecchettin, a biomedical engineering student at Padua University, was due to graduate. Both the victim and the perpetrator were on the same course at the university.
The shocking nature of the crime has been a source of national dismay, not only due to its brutality but also because of the young age of both individuals involved. Prosecutors allege that Turetta stabbed Cecchettin 75 times.
Trial of Filippo Turetta
Turetta was not present at Monday’s hearing, and his lawyer, Giovanni Caruso, suggested that his client might not attend any future court sessions. Several members of Cecchettin’s family, along with numerous women’s advocacy groups, have requested to be admitted as civil plaintiffs in the trial.
Cecchettin was reported missing on the day of her murder after meeting with Turetta for a meal. Her body was discovered a week later in a gully near Lake Barcis in Friuli, on November 18, 2023. Turetta fled after dumping the body and was eventually found near Leipzig, Germany, stranded after his car ran out of fuel and he ran out of money.
Cecchettin’s father hopes her death is a turning point
At her funeral in December, Cecchettin’s father, Gino, expressed hope that her death would become a turning point in the fight against gender-based violence in Italy. He said,
“Femicide is often the result of a culture that devalues the lives of women (who then become) victims of those who should have loved them. Instead they are harassed, forced into long periods of abuse, until they have lost their freedom, before they also lose their lives.”
In response, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, who had already committed to addressing the issue, sent a letter to schools encouraging students to reflect on Gino Cecchettin’s powerful words.
