“Dear Giulia”, dad Cecchettin tells his daughter

Ua long letter, powerful and moving, but also an appeal to families, schools and institutions. This is the book Dear Giuliaout tomorrow March 5th by Rizzoli, written by the father of young woman killed at just 22 years old by her ex-boyfriend Filippo Turetta, last November 11th. Gino Cecchettin chose not to remain silent, but to tell “what he learned” from his daughter. Written with the help of Marco Franzoso, the author of The indigo child and it’s The innocentthe book is part of a larger project: the proceeds, in fact, will all be donated to creation of a Foundation in Giulia’s name to support victims of gender violence.

Dear Giulia, dad Cecchettin talks about his daughter

Gino Cecchettin, through the formula of the never written letter, tells who Giulia was, her little girl torn from the life she loved so much, questions the errors and deep roots of the patriarchal culture of our society. A term, patriarchyon which he had never reflected until the strong words of his daughter Elena who immediately after her sister’s death had said about the murderer Filippo Turetta «he is not a monster, but he is a healthy child of the patriarchal society which is steeped in rape culture».

The action against falling into pain

Dad Cecchettin felt a very strong desire to withdraw into himself after this enormous tragedy, but in the name of Giulia, her children and all the potential girls who are victims of feminicide, decided that his daughter’s death should at least serve some purpose. «You are my Giulia and you will always be my Giulia. But you’re not just that anymore. After what happened you are also everyone’s Giulia, the one who is talking to everyone. And I feel a strong duty to show the world what kind of person you were and, above all, to try through this to make other people ask themselves the same questions as me” he writes with great suffering, but also with great awareness and courage.

The birth of the book

The father of Giulia, Elena and Davide also explains how these pages were born: «I try to analyze where we went wrong, especially we parents, fathers and mothers, where we were little present and were unable to educate our children about love, respect, understanding, but perhaps we have educated them to a way of life centered on possession.” And he explains what he did to not let himself be overwhelmed by the pain: «I believe that the best way to react to what has happened is to make as much noise as possible».

The mourning process

The book was a way to grieve, Cecchettin explained on Sunday evening interviewed by Fabio Fazio: «I didn’t want to take the chair. I asked myself so many questions. I think Giulia had the right to be remembered». At the opening and closing of the book there is the image of an open door: but if the image is the same, the meaning is different. At the start it’s a sad door because, said Giulia’s father, “it reminds me of Sunday morning when I got up and saw the open door of her room and I immediately thought of something strange, but she was a sensible person and I let it go. Now that room is always open because it puts me in communication with her. The door opened in the finale is one of hope».

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