A composed grief, a deafening silence, and finally, an explosion of applause and white balloons. Montecor Vino Rovella gathered in its deepest grief to bid farewell to Tina Sgarbini, the 47-year-old found dead in her home Saturday morning.
The funeral, held in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, brought to the forefront the scourge of femicide, which continues to claim victims throughout Campania.
The horror of a sick love and the arrest of the companion
The autopsy, the results of which were released yesterday, confirmed the brutality of the murder: Tina was beaten and strangled, an act of unprecedented violence committed, by her own admission, by Christian Persico, the man with whom she had been having an affair.
After the crime, the 36-year-old attempted to flee, but was tracked down by the Carabinieri not far from the crime scene. An arrest that brought the horror to life.
The bishop's complaint: "Enough with the platitudes."
The homily by Auxiliary Bishop Alfonso Raimo of Salerno-Campagna-Acerno was a moment of profound reflection. "Our hearts are filled with pain.
Tina was a young mother, snatched from life in a cruel and unjust way, a victim of that plague we now call by a precise name: femicide . For us, however, it is not an abstract term, but a face, a story, a mother who loved her three children.
The bishop denounced violence as a "shortcut" to resolve frustrations and conflicts, and appealed to the community: "It's not enough to cry and be moved. We must have the courage to change.
Enough with the platitudes. We must ensure this never happens again." A strong appeal to consciences, so that words can be transformed into concrete actions of prevention, listening, and education.
Mourning in the city and commitment to the future
Mayor Martino D'Onofrio declared a day of mourning for the city, "a heartfelt and dutiful act towards Tina, her family, and especially her beloved children." "This death has left everyone stunned," the mayor added, emphasizing the need to "think so that these incidents never happen again."
The city administration is already planning initiatives to remember Tina, a way to transform grief into a lasting commitment. "We must say no to unhealthy love," the mayor concluded, addressing in particular the many young people attending the funeral.
Tina Sgarbini's femicide sadly adds to the long list of women murdered in Campania and Italy. Her story is a painful and urgent reminder: love can never be synonymous with possession and violence.
