Sarah. The girl from Avetrana: the docu-series asks to reopen the case

Eleven years have passed since the disappearance of Sarah Scazzi. Eleven years in which the story of this fifteen year old, left home on 26 August 2010 in Avetrana to go to the beach and never returned, she is impressed in the memory of our country. It took more than forty days to find his lifeless body, thrown into a deep well in the middle of a field. And in those hours of live television coverage and interviews with anyone who was in that hitherto unknown small village, “the Sarah Scazzi case” took shape. Of all this, today a mother remains in Avetrana with the big blue eyes of her Sarah on her face and an inscription imprinted on a wall in the town: “This is not Hollywood”.

For the death of Sarah Scazzi they were sentenced to life imprisonment, but they have always declared themselves innocent, aunt Cosima together with her daughter Sabrina. The cousin Sarah adored and with whom, on August 26, she only hoped to go to the beach. There is also in prison Michele Misseri, Sarah’s uncle, Cosima’s husband and Sabrina’s father. It was he who led the investigators to the place where he himself had hidden the body. For this he was sentenced to 8 years in prison: in 2024 his release is expected (although he could get out sooner with parole).

The case over the years has aroused fluctuating controversies and doubts, destined to reopen with the docu-series Sky Original, produced by Greenland and directed by Cristian Letruria, Sarah. The girl from Avetrana, broadcast on Sky Documentaries from 23 November at 9.15 pm and also available on demand and streaming on NOW, taken from the book of the same name by Flavia Piccinni and Carmine Gazzanni (Fandango), who are also the authors. An accurate work that will be disseminated throughout Europe, and which shines the spotlight on the numerous black holes that dot the case which, even today, according to the authors cannot be said to be archived. Our interview with Flavia Piccinni.

Why do you argue that the case is not closed beyond a reasonable doubt?

“The doubt that we posed in our investigation, and on which we return to question ourselves, is simple: despite the fact that there is a final judgment that must be absolutely respected, we are totally sure that the media story has not somehow affected not only the investigation, but also on our perception of the protagonists and the people involved? And, again, are we sure that Sabrina Misseri and Concetta Serrano have really been judged without prejudice? We are certainly facing an unprecedented paradox ».

Which?

“Two women who have never stopped professing innocence in the last eleven years are in life imprisonment, and a man who pleads guilty will soon be released from prison. During the documentary, the viewer will be able to form his opinion. And the unpublished testimony of Giovanni Buccoliero, the Avetrana florist, who plays a key role in the sentence, while never testifying at trial, plays a key role in constituting it and who for the first time in ten years returns to tell his version of events for love of truth “.

Great space in your work is dedicated to the media. To paraphrase Lele Mora, whom you interviewed: «The news offers a low cost show».

«The great protagonist of this reality show of economic and sereaizable horror, which aired on unified networks for a few years, was cynicism. Of the media and viewers. We don’t think we’re immune just because we weren’t there physically. But we were on the sofa, and we didn’t change the channel, when Federica Sciarelli announced on live television to Concetta Serrano that her daughter was probably dead, and that she was looking for her body in the countryside. We were motionless in front of the screen when whistling, spitting and applause accompanied Cosima Misseri to detention ».