A ruling that says nothing about the truth. And above all, it doesn't explain why Irene Cristinzio never returned home. It's the ruling by Nuoro Court Judge Tiziana Longu, declaring the presumed death of the woman who disappeared in Orosei on July 11, 2013. Thirteen years later, a legal answer has finally arrived. But not the one the family has been waiting for: what happened to Irene, who left home that morning for her walk and never returned.

The choice

For three years, beyond the ten-year deadline required to request a declaration of presumed death, the family continued to keep the flame of hope burning. Rekindling it with every report, every possible lead, every piece of evidence that could finally lead to Irene. A hope that was not extinguished, not even by the discovery of some bone remains, almost a year and a half ago, which failed to provide the hoped-for answer. Thus, the sentence of presumed death was issued, but the mystery of what really happened remains. Irene's children, Nicoletta, Salvatore, and Gabriele, attended the hearing in court, represented by their lawyer Francesca Chisu.

The last morning

It was July 11, 2013. That morning, the woman left her home on Via Nurache, in Orosei, around 8:00 a.m., as she usually did for her walk. Her son, returning from Milan for vacation, was waiting to have breakfast with her. A daily appointment. "See you at 8:30," she had told him. But Irene would never return. She had with her a small clutch bag and two cell phones. By 9:00 a.m., they were unreachable. All trace of her was lost. She hadn't disappeared in a remote location, but in a tourist town, in the height of the summer season. Yet, no one has seen her since. The search began immediately. Pine forests, fields, wells, and cisterns were searched. The family has never considered the case closed. "A necessary act, not a surrender," Nicoletta explained a year ago, speaking of the request for presumed death. Now the verdict. Not the most anticipated, on the truth of that disappearance. And the desire to continue seeking the truth about Irene.

Fabio Ledda

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