Chiara Petrolini in court: "I'm not a killer mother, 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 sheet of paper and read a prepared statement. Those present describe a thin, at times trembling voice, but one 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, stark as a punch, is the cornerstone of her defence. Chiara Petrolini reiterated that at the time of the events—those two secretive deliveries—she was not at all aware she was pregnant. "I wasn't sure," she stressed repeatedly, almost as if trying to convince herself first. She described a changing body, yes, but one she interpreted with uncertainty, caught in a spiral of fear and denial. She spoke of a frightened girl, alone, without even knowing who to turn to for help.

Details emerging from the prosecution's files have chilled many to the bone: the tiny bodies of the newborns were allegedly abandoned in gut-wrenching circumstances. But today, she forcefully rejected the "monster" label 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 through two pregnancies?

Among the courtroom benches, I gathered impressions from some of the 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 own version of the truth, and this trial is only just beginning.

Here are the key points from Chiara Petrolini's statement today:

• "I wasn't sure I was pregnant": she insisted on her lack of awareness of her pregnancies, for both the first and second deliveries.
• "I'm not a killer 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 realise what was happening.
• Reading from a sheet: she chose to read a prepared text to avoid being overwhelmed by emotion and to ensure 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, it hits close to home, because it touches deep chords. Chiara Petrolini is no longer just a name in the papers: she's a young woman who has spoken and now awaits judgment. And as they say in these cases, the trial has only just begun.