Investigations continue into the murder of Emanuele Durante, 20, son of a cousin of the 14-year-old innocent victim of the Camorra killed in 2004.
A heartfelt letter, a message of closeness and hope. Don Tonino Palmese, president of the Polis Foundation, wrote to Giannino Durante, father of Annalisa, the 14-year-old innocent victim of the Camorra killed in 2004 in Forcella, after the murder of Emanuele Durante, 20, son of a cousin of Annalisa.
“Dearest Giannino, first of all I embrace you in this moment of trial for your family. The loss of a young relative is always a tragedy”, thus begins the letter, a message of condolence and support in a moment of deep pain.
The murder of Emanuele Durante, which occurred yesterday in Naples, brought to mind the tragic death of Annalisa, and Don Tonino Palmese wanted to express his closeness to Giannino Durante, underlining the importance of his testimony and his commitment to keeping Annalisa's memory alive.
“I prefer to write to you because in these hours the constant call for the killing of Emanuele and what you have been doing for 21 years in memory of Annalisa could become in the collective imagination (and not only) almost an invitation to resignation and to acknowledge defeat", writes Don Tonino Palmese, highlighting the risk that violence can generate a sense of impotence and disillusionment.
But the testimony of Giannino Durante, his commitment to promoting culture and legality, represents a beacon of hope for the city of Naples. “Your testimony, which starts from the donation of Annalisa's organs, up to these hours where the library welcomes hundreds and thousands of young people, is the demonstration that if you had not been there, Annalisa would have been killed every day by resignation, oblivion and even by the 'physiological' justification of death in a city like ours”, underlines Don Tonino Palmese.
The letter is an invitation not to give in to resignation, to continue to believe in change, to transform pain into civil commitment. “Your daughter has become for thousands of people the reason why it is worth living… to the fullest and that nothing in the world, including death, can justify our remaining alive as 'corpses'”, writes Don Tonino Palmese, recalling the words of Giannino Durante: “culture saves the soul”.
"My Giannino, our Giannino, you have the right to feel that your arms are giving way, or rather falling. We, since the day of Annalisa's funeral, have clung to your embrace and today we are many in committing ourselves to holding up your arms so that your action of embracing that includes and of arms that bring us back to life can continue", concludes Don Tonino Palmese, a message of hope and solidarity for a city that does not want to surrender to violence.
Article published on March 16, 2025 - 19pm
The article talks about a very delicate and sad topic, the loss of a young man because of the Camorra. It is important that there is attention to these issues but also that we continue to hope and fight for change. We cannot give up.
It is sad to think that violence continues to affect families. I hope that there is justice for Emanuele and that Annalisa's memory is not forgotten, but lives on in those who fight for a better future.
Don Tonino's letter is touching, and makes us reflect on how pain can be transformed into positive action. We hope that the message comes through loud and clear, and that more people can get involved in the fight against crime.