Saturday, March 20, 2010

PER LA DOTTORESSA DI SCICLI

The beautiful little town of Scicli, a 15-minute drive from Modica, is a community in shock following an horrific crime which took place there on Wednesday - Thursday night: A 53-year-old woman doctor was on duty in the town as that night's guardia medica [emergency doctor] and was alone in the old palazzo where the emergency surgery is located. The building has no video entry system. At around 8.30 pm two North African men arrived at the premises and asked for medicines, which the doctor gave them. The men left but in the early hours one of them returned and rang the doorbell. The doctor saw his silhouette through the glass door and only opened it a fraction in order to talk to him. The man then forced the door open, attacked the doctor violently, raped her and broke her leg. Before fleeing he took the 200 euros that she had in her handbag.

The doctor was admitted to hospital first in Scicli and then in Modica. She was discharged on Thursday evening.

We are all appalled in this normally safe Province of Ragusa as, indeed, are people all over Italy. The Imam of Scicli has called the attack "a crime against man and god" and I can only echo those words. On Wednesday 24th March there will be a torchlight procession in Scicli to show solidarity with the doctor and her family and to say "No" to every form of violence.

I would like to offer this in place of "sabato musicale" tonight. Dottoressa, siamo con Lei. We are with you.

Zucchero e Pavarotti - Va, pensiero

8 comments:

Leslie: said...

Shocking and distressing! Lovely musicale tonight. :)

Rosaria Williams said...

My goodness, this kind of violence shakes us in our core.

CherryPie said...

That is terrible, it has made me go all cold.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Leslie. Yes, very distressing. I thought long and hard about the music. Hi, lakeviewer. Yes, it does. It is so senseless. My reaction too, Cherie.

James Higham said...

Did they track down the perpetrator?

Whispering Walls said...

Won't help the immigrant cause

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, James. Not yet but I think they will. Hi, WW. My reaction exactly.

Dim Sum, Bagels, and Crawfish said...

Very upsetting...hadn't heard about this, but will be keeping the doctor in our thoughts.

Is this the same town that is known for it's Palm Sunday procession?

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