An Italian man has been accused of, and charged for allegedly, killing his own sister after finding out she was dating a transman.
According to ANSA General News, 25-year-old Michele Antonio Gaglione was arrested for allegedly ramming the scooter his 22-year-old sister was riding on with her 22-year-old partner in Caivano, within the province of Naples. According to the suspect’s parents, however, the sister, Maria Paola, died in a simple car accident and Michele did not intentionally cause the crash. As the Gaglione family’s representation, Domenico Paolella, said during preliminary investigations, Maria Paola had been missing for weeks.
“He explained to the judge that the family had lost trace of Maria Paola for several weeks,” Paolella told the preliminary investigation judge. “She packed her bags and went.”
The lawyer then added, “When Antonio saw her in the seat of a scooter, he followed with his motorbike to ask her to come back home, to talk, to get her to reason. She went without giving any explanations and the whole family was devastated.”
For Ciro Migliore, the partner who survived the crash, the loss of his girlfriend has been a terrible fate.
“I can’t stand it. It should have happened to both of us,” he told a news conference after being treated for injuries.
On Tuesday, September 15, Migliore was accompanied by police to visit Maria’s body before the funeral. He then left a poster near the site where Maria died reading, “We were running alone towards our freedom, or at least we though we were, towards our great happiness. Wherever you are, my heart will be with you”.
Daniela Falanga, the chair of the Naples branch of LGBTQ organization Arcigay, also spoke to reporters to express her support of Migliore and her condemnation of the Gaglione family.
00″I spoke to Ciro… the two youngsters had repeatedly had death threats,” Falanga said. “In a way, they were expecting what happened.”
Michele Antonio Gaglione is currently in jail and is being investigated for manslaughter.
Source: ANSA General News, Today IT,
What a tragic and unfortunate reaction from a brother unable to open his eyes and heart to love his sister unconditionally and accept the couple as they are. Maria’s appearance and name may have been altered, likely by her own wishes to feel comfortable as herself – but she was the same person with the same blood, mind, heart, and soul.
“Hate” and “Intolerance” are learned behaviors of “fear of the unknown”. Maybe, if he (or the Gaglione family) had taken a differemt approach to sit and talk civilly with the young couple (perhaps with an Archigay representative to act as mediator or just supervise for safety) in a public area, this family’s hate and intolerance could have become one of understanding and support – instead of a family and a couple being torn apart resulting from a young man who had apparent anger, rage, and violent tendencies.
I’m so heartbroken that the loving couple had their relationship ended by such a deplorable act. While I know Ciro longs to have Maria back in his life, I hope he can find it in his own will and heart to advocate for others so nothing like this happens to another LGBT couple.
Ciro and Maria were such a stunning and beautiful couple in the photos I saw while reading of this. Their eyes and expressions displayed their comfort, trust, peace, and love of one another. One thing I learned from Catholicism (despite being a homosexual male in a 14 year relationship) is that “GOD is LOVE and LOVE is GOD”.
My point being: Love, regardless of who it’s from and to, is still love and is never wrong. (Rev. Fr. Joseph Girzzone, of the Albany, New York Archdiocese, May 1982 when my parents renewed their Wedding vows – of a marriage he performed 15-years prior between my Jewish Mother & Roman Catholic Father to describe that their Love for one another was not wrong.)
The acts of Michele weren’t “love”, thus dismissing/abandoning God and enabling Satan to control his thoughts and fate, resulting in the loss of everything his parents had worked for to build a family.
The God I know to be true would never devastate a family, a couple, or an entire community with violence. Sometimes, just taking a step back to reevaluate our thoughts or actions – or seeking a Priest, Nun, or Rabbi to discuss what is weighing on our mind seeking insight and guidance is a necessary step to protect us and those we love.