Mother of murdered student confronts ex-general Vannacci over femicide denial

Cetty Zaccaria, mother of Sara Campanella, denounced former General Roberto Vannacci’s statement that femicide does not exist. She recalled that her daughter was killed in 2023 in front of the Messina university hospital by a fellow student who had purchased a knife weeks earlier and attacked her with multiple stab wounds after she said “no.”

Other women, including survivor Patrizia Cadau, and relatives of other femicide victims, responded to Vannacci, now a Member of the European Parliament, accusing him of down‑playing gender‑based violence. Cadau highlighted the disparity between Vannacci’s military background and the lack of protection for women facing abuse, urging society to recognize femicide as a distinct crime rooted in control and misogyny.

The backlash underscores a broader debate in Italy over the recognition of femicide and the systemic violence faced by women.