Filippo Touretta has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Julia Cecetin, a 22-year-old student who was killed with particular savagery in November last year in a case that tragically highlighted the problem of femicide in Italy.

Cecchetin, a biomedical engineering student, was stabbed more than 70 times before her body was wrapped in black plastic bags and dumped in a ditch near a lake north of Venice. Her murder sparked widespread protests across the country, with society calling for tougher sentences and better protection for women.

Touretta, Cheketin’s former partner, was arrested in Germany on November 19, 2023, the day after her body was found. During his plea in a Venice court in October, he confessed to planning her abduction and murder when she refused to return to their relationship.

The court’s verdict

The judges sentenced Touretta to life imprisonment, also ordering him to pay compensation of €760,000 to Ceketin’s family. Prosecutor Andrea Petroni had called for the harsher sentence, describing Touretta’s act as “particularly brutal”. On the other hand, the perpetrator’s lawyer, Giovanni Caruso, argued that the sentence was excessive, stating, “My client is not Pablo Escobar.” This comparison provoked a strong reaction, with Cecchetin’s father stating that his daughter’s memory was “further humiliated.”

After the sentence was announced, Julia’s father, Gino, commented: “Justice was served per current laws, but as a society, we have all lost.” Her uncle, Andrea Camerotto, was even more categorical: “I am not in favour of forgiveness. I will never forgive the man who killed my niece nor those who harm women.”

Watch the video, and highlights from the trial:

The relationship and the escalation of violence

Ceketin had a relationship with Touretta for about a year, which she broke off in August 2023. According to her sister, Elena, Touretta had begun to show signs of control and manipulation from the very beginning of their relationship, with signs of jealousy, such as when she mentioned to him that she was meeting a friend from school. Although she had not shown signs of physical violence in the past, as in many cases of femicide, the perpetrator could not accept the end of the relationship.

Cheketin disappeared on November 11, 2023, after visiting a shopping mall with Touretta to buy a dress for her graduation. During the police investigation, CCTV images showed Touretta beating Tcheketin while she tried to escape before forcing her back into his car.

Plague in Italy

This case is not unique. Since her murder to date, 106 women have been murdered in Italy by men, with most perpetrators being current or former partners.

Her case has brought the debate on gender-based violence back to the forefront, with organisations calling for stronger measures to prevent and protect women. Last month, a foundation was established in memory to support victims of gender-based violence and raise awareness in society.