A posthumous graduation ceremony was
held in Padua on Tuesday for Giulia Cecchettin, a 22-year-old
biomedical engineering student who was kidnapped and murdered by
her former boyfriend Filippo Turetta on November 11 in a case
that shocked the nation.
Cecchettin had been due to graduate just a few days after being
stabbed to death by her University of Padua course mate.
The case caused widespread dismay in Italy partly because of the
brutality of the killing and also because of the young age of
the perpetrator and victim.
"You have created a tear in our consciences, mine first of all,"
said her father Gino Cecchettin at the ceremony at Palazzo del
Bo in Padua.
"You will always be in the hearts of those who loved and knew
you, and you will always be in our hearts."
Speaking at her funeral in December, Gino Cecchettin said he
hoped her death might mark a turning point in the fight against
gender-based violence in Italy.
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, who had already committed
to tackling the issue, subsequently sent a circular letter to
schools inviting them to get pupils to reflect on his words.
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