Letter, translated
from the communist newspaper Liberazione (published yesterday),
in which a "politically moderate" father describes
coming to the rescue of his daughter in Genua and finding out
she has been tortured by police.
Dear Mr. Curzi,
I am a political moderate, I have always voted
Christian Democrats and Partito Popolare. At the last elections
I voted Rutelli. I say this as a premiss to explain my attitude.
I went to Genoa on saturday (I was on holidays in Camogli) because
I had learnt that my daughter Laura, a student of 23, had come
from Rome to participate in the G8 demonstrations. I wanted to
see her because I was worried. I saw the huge demonstration and
the useless, brutal charges by the police in Viale Torino. While
searching my daughter, who called me repetedly to assure me she
was fine and there were no incidents where she was, I saw scenes
of terrible violence. Five or six carabinieri were beating up
a very young girl, who had probably remained isolated and blinded
by the tear gas, like me, as she crouched against a wall, and
they insulted and beat her until she lost consciousness. I admit
that I was in great fear and I took refuge in the hallway of
a lady who opened the door to save me after she, too, had witnessed
that scene from her window. Hours of anguish passed. My daughter's
cell phone gave the occupied signal all the time. I roamed through
the city, or at least in those parts where normal people were
allowed to come, like a madman.
I went to two
hospitals, tried in vain to reach police headquarters, and then,
in one of the few bars that were more or less open, at nightfall,
I met friendly people who tried to cheer me up a bit; but then,
on local television, I heard about the police raid at the [Genoa
Social Forum] center. It was there that my daughter said, the
last time I spoke with her, that we could meet after the demonstration.
She had an appointment there with a journalist friend from Rome,
they were to travel back together by car. Mr. Curzi, you can
imagine my agony when I saw, on tv, my daughter with her face
covered in blood, being carried away on a stretcher. A boy I
didn't know, from Genoa, offered his assistance and together
we went to two hospitals and other first aid facilities, but
everywhere we were told my daughter wasn't there. "Keep
them at home, those little whores..." a policemen, who seemd
drugged, shouted at me. On sunday morning Laura was finally able
to call me. She had been kept inside a police barracks all that
time, even though she was wounded. I could finally hold her in
my arms at Brognole station. She was in a very bad shape, her
dress was torn and she had various injuries all over her body.
She was terrorised, and had been unable to call me, as she immediately
explained, because her cell phone had been crushed. As she told
me of the [police] aggression inside the school she started to
cry, she, who is always so strong. We went back to Rome (I cancelled
my holidays of course) and I want to support her. I can tell
you, Mr. editor, that during all of the journey Laura hasn't
said a word. Only today, at home and among her friends (my wife,
her mother, unfortunately died two years ago), she is slowly
recovering. What she tells us of the violence they were submitted
to is horrible. Our doctor, who has seen her, confirms that she
has been tortured.
I won't say more than this,
Mr. editor. I confess that I am afraid to do what some of my
friends and a lawyer have advised me to do: officially report
this violence to the authorities. I am a civil servant (I include
my name and address, but I want to ask you to not to publish
them for now) and, as you will understand, I am afraid of vengeance.
I will wait and see what others do and above all what happens
in parliament. Tomorrow I will try to deliver this letter to
the On. Rutelli.
Signed letter
Source (Italian): http://www.liberazione.it/giornale/26-07gio/INSERTO/INS-1+/OSPITE.htm
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