“You can’t give me my daughter back, but at least give me justice.” The poignant appeal to the judges by Anna Mideja, mother of Sara Grimaldi, ends with these words, on the eve of the first hearing of the trial against the motorist who caused the death, at just 19 years old, of her daughter and two other boys , Elisa Buonsante, 25 years old, and Michele Traetta, 21.
In fact, at the conclusion of the preliminary investigations into yet another massacre of young people on Italian roads, on 11 December 2022 on State Road 96 in the municipal area of Modugno, on the outskirts of Bari, the Public Prosecutor of the Bari prosecutor’s office in charge of the related criminal proceedings, Dr. . Manfredi Dini Ciacci, requested the indictment for the crime of road homicide, with the aggravating circumstances of having caused the death of several people and of having committed it with serious violations of road traffic regulations, specifically speeding, more double that allowed, as well as for the crime of very serious personal injury on the road, with the same aggravating circumstance, having also caused the injury of a fourth young person, for the driver of the car in which the victims were transported, considering him solely responsible for the enormous tragedy . And having accepted the request, the Gup of the Bari court, Dr. Rossana De Cristofaro, set the preliminary hearing for Monday 20 May 2024, at 9 am.
The mother wrote a letter to the judges, through the lawyers of the 3A firm.
“Sara, since she was a child – we read in the letter – took care of her brothers because she loved them and adored all children, so much so that she often came to the nursery school where I work. She used to cuddle the little ones and she helped me prepare the displays for plays or for class. She was a sweet, understanding, helpful and determined girl. She had received the pink slip for her driving license, but she did not drive a car unless in my presence or the driving instructor. She was studying to become a local police officer. As soon as she turned 18 she wanted to have her first summer work experience in Calabria. She took part, with me, in all the trade union demonstrations in the square to defend the rights of workers and all citizens, for peace… As altruist as she was. She, however, will never become a mother, never a local police officer.
All her plans to become a future, good woman integrated into society have been dashed. With her, we too died, parents and brothers. Our lives have been completely turned upside down, overturned by events. We continue to survive this immense tragedy because, thanks also to the psychological journey, we have decided to set ourselves objectives: for us parents the objective is to give Justice to Sara and continue to support our children who no longer have an important point of reference; for the brothers the goal is to assert themselves in life, because they want Sara to be proud of them by achieving, in small steps, everything that she will no longer be able to do.
The psychological journey was fundamental because, immediately after the tragedy, we felt like strangers at home. Everyone was locked in their own pain, they suffered in silence, they avoided talking to other family members to protect the other. How many medals the brothers put on Sara’s photo! Nonsense? Who can say. No one can understand the pain we carry inside and will carry with us forever. To the question “how are you?” we always answer “good”, because, if we started talking, we would “uncover a Pandora’s box” full of emotions.
How could a parent who lost their daughter or a brother who lost a sister feel? Even simple things that everyone does on a daily basis and superficially, like going food shopping or going around clothing stores, generate a lump in my throat, a choking of tears, because in those moments she was always there, she was beside me. Now I am alone, as her brothers feel alone. No parent, instead of choosing a cell phone to give to their beloved daughter for Christmas, should find themselves choosing a grave for their daughter. No parent should go to “visit” her daughter at the cemetery instead of at her home to support her with household chores or children.
I have dealt with many parents who have lost a child in a road accident and, unanimously, the great disappointment emerged towards an Italian justice system which is inadequate in the face of tragedies which upset and overturn the lives of entire families forever, inflicting light penalties, insignificant compared to the damage caused. Indeed, “many parents who have lost a child in a road accident”. These massacres, unfortunately, will continue until the institutions understand the need to take firm and decisive positions, establishing severe and exemplary penalties! Why allow sentence reductions or plea deals? Why inflict further pain on those who have already lost their loved ones?
You cannot give me back my beloved daughter Sara, but at least guarantee me justice that inflicts a severe punishment, corresponding to the pain caused, which serves as a deterrent so that there are no other Saras, other Micheles, other young lives cut short in a bad way by inconsiderate drivers. Do it for many young people who could be saved.”
