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

In a Parma courtroom today, the atmosphere was heavy, almost sombre. Chiara Petrolini, the 22-year-old at the centre of a case that has shaken Italy, broke her silence. Facing the judge, she took out a piece of paper and read a prepared statement. Those present described her voice as soft, occasionally cracking, 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 statement, stark as a punch, is the core of her defence. Chiara Petrolini reiterated that at the time of the events – those two secret deliveries – she was completely unaware she was pregnant. "I wasn't sure," she stressed several times, as if trying to convince herself first. She described a body that was changing, yes, but 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.

The prosecution's documents reveal details that have chilled many to the bone: the bodies of the newborns were allegedly abandoned in horrifying circumstances. But today, she strongly 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 been pregnant twice?

Among the courtroom benches, I gathered impressions from some of the lawyers present. For them, the defence 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 the statements 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 second deliveries.
• "I am 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 a panic, unable to ask for help or even fully realise what was happening.
• Reading from a paper: 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 summarised in a few news reports. It is not just a story of alleged crimes, but also one of youth isolation, of changing bodies not understood, of fears becoming insurmountable walls. Here in Parma, we feel it deeply because it touches a raw nerve. Chiara Petrolini is now more than just a name in the papers: she is a young woman who has spoken and is waiting to be judged. And the trial, as they say in such cases, has only just begun.