Vincenzo Di Dio is the director of the nature reserve – managed by Lipu – which includes the Isola delle Femmine. After the illegal birthday party organized by two twins, the doctors Vito and Antonio Triolo, he made an inspection of the islet where about a hundred guests had landed by sunset. And he uses one word to describe what he observed: “Massacre”. Cigarette butts everywhere, cans, bottles, plastic decorations. Furthermore, on the night between Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June – when these exponents of the Palermo elite were recalled to the islet – the nesting period of protected species was underway. «There are signs that clearly say that it is a protected area, where entry is absolutely prohibited – explains director Di Dio -. Even guided tours are suspended.”
The assault on the islet
«From 1998 to yesterday, no one had thought of storming the islet also because in this period there are species that nest and, from March 1st to June 30th, visits are suspended», he says. «I did an inspection on Sunday morning. Lots of cigarette butts, glass and plastic bottles and lots of glasses. They piled up some wood and wanted to make a bonfire. A real disaster”. This last aspect particularly worried the director. If a fire of this size had been lit – there was a lot of wood accumulated – there would have been a risk of a fire starting. And in recent weeks Sicily – like every summer – is a region heavily affected by fires.
He party
The party affair, however, could have criminal consequences: the Palermo prosecutor’s office is evaluating whether any crimes were committed, given that the party was not authorized. While the video is circulating online in which DJ Mauriziotto – his real name is Maurizio Giglio – can be seen playing for the guests. Among other things, DJ Mauriziotto, before dedicating himself to music, was a Coast Guard officer whose men, together with the financial police and the Carabinieri, interrupted the party, identified those present and forced the guests to get back on the dinghies with which he had reached the islet. Also in the video, among people dancing with eccentric hats and clothes, a sign with the words “save the planet” appears: a paradox, considering the conditions in which the protected area was left.
