“I hope that your absence can be a warning to the many young people here, that they are the ones who change this rotten world and make it a better place”. The words of grandmother Olga read by a grandson break the silence in the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Rosciano, where in the afternoon the funeral of Christopher Thomas Luciani was celebrated, still 16 years old, brutally killed with 25 stab wounds last Sunday, in the ‘Baden Powell’ park in Pescara.
“You will always be part of me. I will never be able to forget your smile. I love you”, read the shirt of the boy’s girlfriend.
A very long applause, tears and loud tears from relatives and friends welcomed the coffin of Crox – this is his nickname for everyone – at the end of the ceremony, which was attended by hundreds of people, many of whom were forced to remain outside the church. To the tune of Ultimo’s song “Swallows on the Leash”, red and white balloons were released into the air. Among those present at the funeral also Don Antonio Coluccia, the courageous priest of San Basilio of Rome who lives under guard. There were, among others, the president of the Abruzzo Region, Marco Marsilio, the prefect of Pescara, Flavio Ferdani, the Police Commissioner Carlo Solimene, the mayor of Rosciano, Simone Palozzo. Crox’s friends wore T-shirts in memory of him. The archbishop of the diocese of Pescara Penne, Monsignor Tommaso Valentinetti, and the parish priest Don Mario Spadaccini, officiated at the function – citizen mourning was proclaimed in the town.
“If these things happen, if kids become uncontrollable kids,” the bishop said, “I believe there is a dimension of responsibility that we all must assume without distinction: the institutions, the school, the families, the church, everyone. We need a surge of responsibility because these things are not justifiable. These things are not understandable.” “Who killed this boy? We are all responsible,” echoed Don Coluccia. “Your life is not up for auction. Fall in love with your freedom. The language of violence leads to perdition. It is all against nature when a boy dies like this.”
Among the most touching moments was the one in which the message from Thomas’s grandmother, who has cared for him like a mother since he was three and a half years old, was read: in addition to the warning on the need to change “this rotten world”, the woman hoped that young people could understand “the importance of family and how it is always a safe place, a place where you can be fragile, talk about your fears and insecurities; grow and prepare for the hardships of life”.
To know more ANSA Agency The Pescara crime. Autopsy results: Thomas died from lung injuries – News – Ansa.it ‘I intend to make him suffer and kill him’. The selfie before the crime (ANSA)
Meanwhile, the park where the tragedy occurred has been closed to the public by order of the mayor to avoid the constant coming and going of curious people. Yesterday, on the football pitch in the green area, on the synthetic grass, large writings appeared with the initials of the surnames of the two alleged perpetrators accompanied by the words “murderers” and “Christopher lives”; next to it is a symbol reminiscent of the “deathly hallows” from the famous Harry Potter saga. While Pescara is still in shock from the brutal murder and while many parents of very young people are wondering whether the city is safe or not, the Adriatic capital is experiencing a new summer weekend, with evenings at the beaches and events, just five days after the crime. Among the main initiatives is the Pescara stage of the Rds Summer Festival, which in the afternoon the city councilor Domenico Pettinari, former vice-president of the Regional Council, asked to stop. In the city, the city mourning lasted two hours, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, at the same time as the last farewell to Crox.
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