Carmella Petrucci remembered in her school in Palermo, her sister: “Still difficult to speak of her in the past”

Last Updated: October 19, 2023

Exactly 11 years have passed since the killing of Carmela Petrucci, a victim of femicide. The tragedy occurred on Via Uditore in Palermo. The 17-year-old student died while defending her sister Lucia from her ex-boyfriend, who was also injured. Samuele Caruso was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and the injury of Carmela’s sister. The young man wanted to “punish” his ex-girlfriend for leaving him and confronted her outside her house. The argument escalated into a tragedy. Today, on the 11th anniversary of her death, Umberto I Classical High School in Palermo commemorates Carmela. The event, aimed at fourth and fifth-year students, was organized by the anti-violence service Diana and the volunteer organization Cotulevi, led by Silvano Bartolomei. Lucia Petrucci, the former student and sister of Carmela, was also present. The first speaker to address the students was Mirella Agliastro, the prosecutor who supported the charge in the second-degree trial against Carmela Petrucci’s killer. “We are here to remember this tragic event,” says the former prosecutor. “But at the same time, to talk about the family that has continued with great dignity, believing in the important values of life and their everyday life, in the absence of their loved one. Education is important. The students must respect the female world, and the girls must learn to defend themselves when they find themselves in violent situations, they must know how to recognize it and run away.” Lucia Petrucci closes her eyes and turns red when the former prosecutor recalls the moments of her sister’s murder. She was there, and her mind remembers everything, causing her constant pain. “I work daily (today I am a teacher) in contact with students, and we want to pass on to them the values of lawfulness and respect. I thank those who organize the many initiatives aimed at remembering my sister, even though it is difficult to speak about her in the past tense. She loved the corridors of this school, and it is an honor for me to come back here.” Aurora Ranno, the founder of the volunteer organization Cotulevi, explains the support provided to women who are victims of violence: “Every day, we listen to the stories of these women who come seeking help,” says Ranno. “We receive about two consultations per day, and we are present in the courts of Palermo and Trapani. We save desperate women and immediately place them in secure and protected facilities.” Vito Lo Scrudato, the principal of Umberto I, speaks about his friendship with the Petrucci family. “Knowing them has been an experience that has enriched us. They have given us more than what we have tried to give them.”