As the days go by and with the sea that continues to return poor remains, the shipwreck of 26 February in Steccato di Cutro increasingly assumes the connotation of a massacre of children. Four have been recovered in the last two days. And all four had an indicative age under 12 years. The victims in that age group are 24, out of the 33 minors who died. A dramatic update in the count of those who didn’t make it which brings the total number of victims to 79. And, unfortunately, that’s not all. Because according to the estimates made on the basis of the number of people on board indicated by the survivors – about 180 – at least another twenty people should be missing. And it cannot be excluded that there are other children among them. A massacre of minors that can perhaps be explained by the fact that the Turkish route, for years now, has been characterized as one of the most frequented by families. In fact, migrants from countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq often move in family groups, with a strong presence of minors. This morning the sea returned three bodies. That of a man was found on the beach in Praialonga, about ten kilometers from the scene of the tragedy, where the coast pushes towards the sea creating an inlet. At sea, however, a patrol boat identified and recovered the bodies of two children. It is also difficult for rescuers to estimate an age given the condition of the bodies after 15 days at sea. Now the bodies have been taken to Palamilone, where the funeral home of all the victims has been set up and where the scientific police will try to give a name to the poor remains. The goal of the technicians is to obtain recognition of all the dead to give family members at least the opportunity to cry on a grave. Just as, with the intention of recovering all the bodies, the searches were extended over a 13-kilometer stretch of coast, based on the currents and the places where the victims were found. In the meantime, the relatives of the missing go back and forth between Palamilone and the beach of Steccato di Cutro. A sad pilgrimage in the hope of knowing that their loved ones have at least been found. An excruciating wait full of indescribable pain that volunteers from humanitarian organizations and third sector associations in Crotone are trying as best they can to soothe them by offering them psychological support. Meanwhile, on the judicial front, on Friday there will be a first formal step in the investigation against the alleged smugglers, while, on the other front, investigations into possible gaps in the rescue chain continue. The probative incident in the investigation against the 17-year-old Pakistani believed to be one of the smugglers is set before the Gip of the Catanzaro Juvenile Court. A hearing in which all the survivors will be heard to crystallize their testimonies in view of a trial which, physically, they may not be present once they leave Italy. A similar initiative was taken by the Prosecutor of Crotone which proceeds against the three alleged adult smugglers. And it cannot be excluded that the Catanzaro minutes could then be sent to Crotone to avoid the shipwrecked victims of the torture of reliving the tragedy they experienced twice in the courtroom. The probative incident will therefore serve to establish what happened during the journey and, especially in the final stages. The migrants will thus have the possibility of confirming some details already described to the investigators the day after the shipwreck and already included in the arrest warrant issued on 28 February. Details – such as the presence of a frequency jammer on board to prevent migrants from being able to call and ask for help, or the sudden change of course a few moments before impact with the shoal – which could aggravate the position of the suspects.
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