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“It shouldn’t have happened—it never should have happened.” Filippo Di Terlizzi, son of Cecilia De Astis who was fatally struck by a stolen car in Milan’s Via Saponaro on Monday, rejects framing the tragedy as “misfortune.” Speaking calmly but firmly to Italian media, Di Terlizzi declared, “This horror cannot be justified by bad luck,” adding, “We are living a nightmare. This isn’t a witch hunt—it’s about everyone’s safety.”
He stressed, “This is a murder that should never have occurred. Those children, raised in delinquency, shouldn’t have been there.” The four minors—aged 11 to 13, including one girl—stole a French tourist’s car after finding keys among looted items, then sped recklessly until hitting De Astis.
Meanwhile, the mother of one suspect, weeping outside Milan’s police station, told reporters: “I’ve cried since dawn for the victim and my son. They’re not adults—they’re children.” She revealed the group returned home late Sunday and only afterward confessed to the crime, stating, “Had we seen them in that car, we’d have stopped them.”
The minors, born in Italy to nomadic families, admitted stealing the vehicle and were released to their mothers after questioning. Juvenile prosecutors are assessing charges against them and potential negligence proceedings against parents. Police recovered stolen goods—including Pokémon shirts—from their Via Salvanesco trailer camp.
In response, Milan city councilor and Deputy Prime Minister Silvia Sardone (Lega) proposed awarding De Astis the city’s highest honor, the Ambrogino d’Oro, posthumously. “Given the unpunishable age of her killers,” Sardone noted, “this award would symbolically recognize Cecilia’s social work in Gratosoglio district and serve as a warning against future tragedies.”
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