Chiara Petrolini in court: "I'm not a killer mum, I wasn't sure I was pregnant"

Today in a Parma courtroom, the atmosphere was heavy, almost solemn. Chiara Petrolini, the 22-year-old at the centre of a case that has rocked Italy, broke her silence. Facing the judge, she pulled out a piece of paper and read a prepared statement. Those present describe a thin voice, cracking at times, but determined to be heard. She wanted to look her accusers straight in the eye, and perhaps all of us who have spent months trying to make sense of this story.

"I am not a mother who kills her children." This statement, as stark as a punch to the gut, is the cornerstone of her defence. Chiara Petrolini reiterated that at the time of the events—those two secret births—she was completely unaware she was pregnant. "I wasn't sure," she stressed repeatedly, as if trying to convince herself first. She described a body that was changing, yes, but a change she misinterpreted, caught in a spiral of fear and denial. She spoke of a frightened girl, alone, without even knowing who to turn to for help.

The prosecution's documents reveal details that have chilled many to the bone: the tiny bodies of the newborns were allegedly left in horrifying circumstances. But today, she forcefully rejected the label of "monster" that has been stuck on her. She said her life became a living hell long before her arrest, and that she never intended to kill. Her words reignite the debate: is it really possible not to realise you've been pregnant twice?

Among the benches in the courthouse, I caught the impressions of some lawyers present; for them, the strategy is clear. Chiara Petrolini is trying to shift the focus from premeditated murder to an inability to cope with reality. But the prosecution has its evidence and its version of the truth, and this trial is only just beginning.

Here are the key points from the statement Chiara Petrolini gave today:

• "I wasn't sure I was pregnant": She insisted she was unaware of her pregnancies, both the first and the second.
• "I'm not a killer mum": She categorically denied any intention to kill the newborns, rejecting the charge of wilful murder.
• "I was alone and scared": She painted a picture of a young woman in a panic, unable to ask for help or even to process what was happening.
• Reading from a script: She chose to read a prepared text to avoid being overwhelmed by emotion and to make sure she said everything she had in mind.

Leaving the courtroom, the feeling is that this case is far more complex than can be summed up in a few news reports. It's not just a story of alleged crimes, but also one of youth isolation, of changing bodies that aren't understood, of fears that become insurmountable walls. Here in Parma, we feel it deeply, because it strikes a chord. Chiara Petrolini is no longer just a name in the papers: she's a young woman who has spoken and now awaits judgment. And the trial, as they say in these cases, has only just begun.