A 13 year old girl arrived at the Sant'Anna hospital in Turin with his mother because pregnant, was kept under close observation.
She was clearly scared and frightened. Now, she relives those same fears and fears as she answers questions from a judge. She uses the symbolic power of a stuffed animal that she holds tightly to her, as she tells the horrific story of abuse suffered in what should have been her safe haven: her home.
The father of the child she was carrying was her own father. The man, now in prison, had abused her repeatedly, even during her hospitalization for childbirth. He is now in the hands of justice to answer the charges of sexual violence against his daughter and mistreatment of his wife and other minor children.
At the hospital, the young woman arrived in the seventh month of pregnancy in the summer of the previous year, accompanied by her mother. When it came to revealing the identity of the father of the child who was about to be born, she gave evasive answers, first citing a schoolmate and then a virtual meeting on a chat.
The truth came to light only after hidden cameras were installed in her recovery room. On the night of July 9-10, her father visited her and forced her to have sexual intercourse. The 45-year-old man of Filipino origin was arrested immediately. The paternity of the child, who was later given up for adoption, was confirmed by DNA tests.
According to a report in Corriere della Sera written by the PM Enzo Bucarelli, the abuse began in 2022 and took place at home. It emerged that the mother also knew about it and had been a victim of frequent physical abuse. During the investigation, the involvement of a third person also emerged, a family friend, who allegedly tried to persuade the thirteen-year-old to blame a schoolmate for the pregnancy.
Article published on March 19, 2024 - 10pm
