Filippo Turetta entered the courtroom at 9:28 AM, dressed in a black hoodie, jeans, and sneakers, his gaze fixed on the floor. Today, he stands trial in Venice for the femicide of his ex-girlfriend, Giulia Cecchettin. When called to the witness stand, he briefly glanced to his right, catching sight of Giulia’s father, Gino Cecchettin. Throughout the proceedings, Turetta oscillated between long silences and statements of “I don’t remember,” often hiding behind a memorial he had written in prison, which he extensively read in court without ever mentioning Giulia’s name. His voice remained steady and monotone as he reluctantly admitted to having planned to abduct and harm her, despite his difficulty in verbalizing it.
In the weeks leading up to the trial, Turetta submitted a memorial outlining his thoughts leading up to Giulia’s murder, claiming responsibility for a list of actions found on his phone before the incident. He acknowledged having written this list on November 7, stating, “At that moment, I began to have various thoughts, many wrong ideas.” When pressed by prosecutor Andrea Petroni about his intentions, he revealed, “I thought of abducting her and then, after some time…” When asked if this included taking her life, he hesitated but ultimately admitted, “I had hypothesized this plan… to be together and then inevitably do her harm.” The courtroom was tense as defense attorney Giovanni Caruso clashed with Giulia’s sister’s lawyer over the interpretation of Turetta’s words.
The prosecutor continued to press Turetta on his premeditated actions. “Yes, I did things that followed that list,” he confirmed, detailing his search for isolated locations in the mountains where they could go after the abduction. Turetta candidly recalled, “I looked for ways not to be tracked in my car,” and admitted to researching duct tape and handcuffs, thinking about using them to restrain Giulia. “I even considered using knives in my car… it’s difficult to say out loud,” he confessed. In a chilling revelation, he mentioned having contemplated using a shovel, implying he might have considered burying her.
As the trial progressed, Turetta shared his thought process leading up to the fateful day of November 11. He explained how he had envisioned abducting Giulia, intending to take her to an isolated location where they could be undetected. “I was extremely angry when she got out of the car,” he recalled. He also disclosed that Giulia had written a list of reasons for ending their relationship, hinting at past arguments where he had expressed violent thoughts about infidelity. “I don’t remember what she responded, but I think I was agitated, saying things without thinking clearly,” he stated.
At the end of the morning session, Gino Cecchettin made the decision to leave the courtroom. Prior to this, Turetta’s lawyer had indicated his intent to delve into the young man’s life. Gino, addressing reporters, expressed his sorrow, saying, “The most painful moment was knowing what my daughter went through in her last moments.” He emphasized the sacredness of life and the need to respect others’ lives. Reflecting on Giulia, he simply stated, “She is my love, what else can I say?” Moments later, Turetta finally responded to the haunting question of why he killed Giulia, stating, “I wanted to be back with her… I was suffering a lot. I felt resentment towards her and blamed her for my inability to move forward in life. I wanted our destinies to be the same.”
