24 August 2006

The pardon through the eyes of a victim

I have received many letters about the pardon. Today I’m publishing Emanuela’s letter. She’s an 18 year old from Reggio Calabria.

“Dear Minister Di Pietro,
My name is Emanuela. I am 18 years old and I am from Reggio Calabria. I am writing to you because I have appreciated your stand against the pardon law, above all because you took a personal position.

This letter wouldn’t be important or perhaps it wouldn’t have been written if I weren’t one of the victims that you have been defending. In fact it was about a year ago that my former boyfriend, simply because I had no intention of continuing to be his girl friend, just hit me for useless reasons. He tried to kill me and wounded me with a knife 4 times to the shoulders. This caused me serious damage to my lungs, my liver and my kidneys. That I am still alive is thanks to the speedy action of the doctors and perhaps for a miracle as well, since my condition meant that the doctors feared for my life.

OK. Well, the point is that it is not right that someone who has suffered, someone who has been a victim, should continue to be a victim. In fact what pardon is there for the 4 knife wounds that I received, for all the violence that I went through and for the pain that I continue to suffer?

It is unjust that the State does not give enough protection. In my case the appeal to la Cassazione {the Supreme Court} has not yet happened and he is serving his sentence in house arrest. As soon as I heard about that, the fear that he could escape, brought me to attempt suicide. I would like greater protection and I would like to have the strength to fight for my rights, but who would listen to me?

Thank you for listening to my sorrows and for having stood up for us, the victims.
Yours sincerely. Emanuela.”

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Justice