Chiara Petrolini in Court: "I Am Not a Murdering Mother, I Wasn't Sure I Was Pregnant"

Today in the Parma courthouse, the atmosphere was heavy, almost solemn. Chiara Petrolini, the 22-year-old at the center of a case that has shaken Italy, broke her silence. Facing the judge, she took out a sheet of paper and read her voluntary statement. Those present describe her voice as thin, breaking at times, but determined to be heard. She wanted to look her accusers straight in the eye, and perhaps all of us who have been trying for months to make sense of this story.

"I am not a mother who kills her children." This phrase, sharp as a punch, is the core of her defence. Chiara Petrolini reiterated that at the time of the incidents, those two secret deliveries, she was completely unaware she was pregnant. "I wasn't sure about it," she stressed repeatedly, almost as if trying to convince herself first. She described a body that was changing, yes, but interpreted with uncertainty, in a spiral of fear and denial. She spoke of a frightened girl, alone, not even knowing who to ask for a helping hand.

From the prosecution's documents, details emerge that have left many stunned: the bodies of the newborns were reportedly left in horrifying circumstances. But today she forcefully rejected the label of "monster" that has been attached to 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 truly possible not to realise you've had two pregnancies?

From the benches of the courtroom, I gathered 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 truth, and this trial is just beginning.

Here are the key points from the statement made today by Chiara Petrolini:

• "I wasn't sure I was pregnant": She insisted on her lack of awareness of her pregnancies, for both the first and the second delivery.
• "I am not a murdering mother": She categorically denied any intention to kill the newborns, rejecting the charge of premeditated murder.
• "I was alone and scared": She painted a picture of a young woman in the grip of panic, unable to ask for help or even to realise what was happening.
• Reading from a paper: She chose to read a prepared statement to avoid being overwhelmed by emotion and to ensure she said everything on her mind.

Leaving the courtroom, the feeling is that this case is far more complex than can be summarised in a few news reports. It's not just a story of alleged crimes, but also of youth loneliness, of bodies that change and are not 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 newspapers: she is a girl who has spoken and is now waiting to be judged. And the trial, as they say in such cases, has just begun.