Pain and strength: Piera Maggio in Cagliari. A book for Denise

He gets naked, even if from the first minute he has said everything about himself, his family, his private life, his intimacy. But after 17 years he didn't want gossip to continue building false truths. And so, it being understood that her only objective is the search for her daughter who disappeared almost four years from Mazara del Vallo, Piera Maggio prints the book "Denise, for you with all my strength", which will be presented with the journalist Simona De Francisci on Saturday at 5 pm in Cagliari at the headquarters of L'Unione Sarda for the Alziator Prize . "Things were said that were too different from reality, and I wanted to put a full stop".

In answering the phone with a calm voice she always speaks in the plural, and in that we is her current husband, father of the little girl who disappeared into thin air on September 1, 2004.

She writes that you were suspected.

«I was a source for the investigators who had to investigate further, they were due investigations. Well, maybe there was someone who stopped and didn't go further, the investigations on us were well done and today our involvement is excluded ».

Someone called Denise the child of sin.

“I have endured everything. This sentence is abominable, it horrifies me, there are those who said I shouldn't cheat on my husband. This sentence is equivalent to the one about the girl in the miniskirt who sought violence».

The usual harassment of the victims.

"It happens a bit to all the victims even if I believe that whoever says those things is not well".

And pain adds pain.

“We looked for Denise, we wanted her, it wasn't a mistake. No one should be allowed to say anything."

There have been many sightings of Denise: is there one that made you hope more?

"A couple. I have to say, however, that hopes are in every single report but over the years you try to build up an armor because otherwise you can't go on. It's painful and even tiring to go to places and then, after the check, when they tell you "she's not your daughter", you are terrified. The last time, a year ago, it was I who curbed enthusiasm, I wanted to keep my feet on the ground. In this way we try to protect ourselves ».

Where did you find the energy to go on TV?

«When your daughter disappears, strength comes to you. I went to the Prosecutor's office in Marsala and they told me "we'll find her", "Denise is alive", "Denise is nearby". But time went by and my daughter didn't come back. At one point I thought that I should seek help elsewhere. The first 24, 48 and 72 hours are fundamental, I saw that they spoke of family squabbles so lightly».

At the beginning that was investigated.

«Surely they had formed wrong ideas and later, over the years, obvious errors were found. If they had immediately bet on the suspects…».

The only suspect, Jessica Pulizzi, daughter of her current husband and father of Denise (who has the surname of her ex-husband, Pipitone) was acquitted.

"Due to lack of evidence."

What was that sentence for her?

“We accepted the judges' decision. But the procedural truth does not always coincide with the real one. I want to emphasize that Jessica did not charge her, I pointed out my suspicions and it was the prosecutor's office that brought her to trial. Yet there are those who confuse and say it was me. This too is aberrant."

Did Jessica want to punish her?

«I don't want to go into these details, obviously I can say that we have never changed our minds. And we won't change it as long as there are dark shadows. Accepting the sentence does not mean that we parents share it ».

In the book she talks about Kevin, her son, and we only now discover that she fought for him too.

“My private life was in a meat grinder. I was convinced that what I had to say I had to communicate to the investigators. But my statements ended up in the newspapers. Not only. One day I saw a video where my son's little face was sticking out. So I said: stop. My little girl is all over the posters because she's missing, but my son doesn't touch himself. It was a shame, everyone felt free to do what they wanted."

He made it.

«Yes, and many didn't even know about my son who is now 29 years old».

She went to the President of the Republic and some ministers.

«I've had many institutional meetings and that's not why I'm finished: I'm aiming for a parliamentary inquiry into the Denise case, in the round. I would like the work done over the years to be evaluated to see what went wrong. So much energy and public money spent and we are here without knowing what happened. If there is no clarity, doubts remain ».

His battle has led to two new laws on minors.

«When I learned that the kidnapping of a child was punished with less severe penalties, I never saw it again. I know that the pain of family members is the same whether the abductee is an adult or a child, but if you kidnap a minor and take him away from his surroundings, his loved ones, his home, you are killing his identity. They changed the law. And the rule on the abduction of a minor by one of the parents was also introduced in 2009».

Do you still live in Mazara del Vallo?

“Yes, in the same house. Where, however, I would like to create a beautiful garden, with perfumed roses, tulips, lilac bougainvillea, to finally experience my intimacy».

How do you go forward?

"That of the disappeared is a suspended world, without truth you will never be able to have peace".

In her heart, is Denise alive?

“We have never lost hope. Never, never. We don't live on dreams and fantasies. We have our fears. But nothing has ever surfaced that proves Denise is no longer alive. And then it must be sought. Until proven otherwise."