Naples. He threw himself into the void, ending his life of depression, mental abuse and unhappiness. He was bullied at work because he was homosexual. He wrote it in some letters found by his family. And now Armando Giordano, father of Gennaro Giordano, who committed suicide last year, is asking to know the truth and possibly prosecute the guilty.
Article Key Points
“I'm depressed... it all started a few years ago... I have ups and downs, with moments of strong emotional stress... I don't show it much, I even tried to undertake support courses, but with few results...". This is what is written in one of the five letters written by Gennaro Giordano – the 39-year-old who exactly one year ago, on December 2, 2023, took his own life by jumping into the void from his home in Naples.
Gennaro describes his state of mind and his psychological state but also launches some serious accusations that now push his parents to believe that he has been the object of discrimination in the workplace: "I feel like a burden to my family and to the people around me, all this started with the work situation I find myself in, where I feel persecuted 24 hours a day...", he says, also naming those who, in his opinion, are opposing him.
Gennaro refers to the lack of recognition at work despite the efforts made. But the most serious accusations are a few lines further down: "with the new boss, the situation has not changed, indeed, he persecutes everything that does not fit into his bigotry, for him women and homosexuals are inferior beings, I feel like a prisoner in this life ... ".
Gennaro has very sweet words for his mother, father and brothers to whom he entrusts the care of two little dogs, who lived, and still live, in his home, the one from which he jumped into the void, adjacent to that of his family.
“I don’t want you to cry,” the letter says, “on the contrary, I want you to laugh and eat and drink, remembering the good times. I’ll be fine now, take care of my girls (the two female dogs, a French bulldog and a Princess).” “Don’t blame yourselves, it’s me, I’ve entered a depressive loop that I can’t get out of, make… pay,” the first letter concludes, also naming some names.
“Even though all this time has passed,” the father said through the Ansa press agency, “even though there is an ongoing investigation, we, my wife and my children, still don't know if there are actually any responsibilities for what happened.”
Following the tragedy, which occurred on 2 December 2023, the Torre Annunziata Public Prosecutor's Office has opened a case for incitement to suicide.
In the letters, written before throwing himself into the void from the house next to his family's, Gennaro does not limit himself to describing his pain, but names and recounts episodes of alleged harassment suffered.
Harassment and discrimination at work
Among the most painful memories narrated in the letters, Gennaro cites an episode at work: despite suffering from a painful phlebitis, he was forced to return to work under threat of dismissal. The family confirms the discomfort that gripped him, attributing it to the discrimination he suffered because of his homosexuality. "His letters clearly describe the discomfort and fragility in which he lived," his family declare.
Gennaro had tried to react, relying on psychological therapy and anti-anxiety drugs, but his attempts to overcome the depression proved in vain. “He resisted as long as he could, but in the end he gave up”, says his brother Armando with pain.
An unsolved mystery: Why was the company cell phone returned to the family with its data reset?
The story is accompanied by another enigma: Gennaro's company cell phone, kept in his padlocked locker, was found open and the phone returned to the family with its data completely erased. This detail fuels further questions about a tragedy that has left a trail of pain and suspicion, but also a call for justice that cannot go unheard.
Article published on 1 December 2024 - 14:07
It's a shame that people like Gennaro have had to face such difficult situations at work. Society should be more welcoming and supportive of people, instead of pushing them to extreme actions like suicide. Let's hope there are consequences.