Please read the following news. And, Unfortunately she was found dead tonight. She was killed and buried in a town (Gebze) near Istanbul in Turkey.

I am sorry for her, her family, and her friends.

I urgue everbody who plans to have trip alone to Turkey to be extra carefull. These incidents do not happen all the time but they still happen.


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Missing artist’s sister, boyfriend visit Italian Embassy in Ankara
The sister and boyfriend of a missing Italian artist visited the Italian Embassy in Ankara on April 10 in an attempt to find the young woman, who has been missing in Turkey since March 31.
An embassy official said the sister, Antonietta Pasqualino di Marineo, and boyfriend, Giovanni Chiari, of missing Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo met with Ambassador Carlo Marsili on Thursday, who assisted them in the search for Giuseppina, also known as Pippa Bacca.
Embassy First Secretary Antonino Maggiore said the embassy provided the two with an interpreter and embassy officials accompanied them to the police department in Ankara, where they met with the inspector responsible for the investigation. “We know the police are doing everything possible,” Maggiore said, noting that the sister and boyfriend had later distributed leaflets about the missing Bacca in Ankara’s Kızılay district.

Meanwhile, news agency Cihan reported yesterday that Bacca was last seen on April 3 in the southern city of Adana. A tradesman, Ersin Sergici, from Adana said he saw Bacca on April 3 near the D-400 highway, hitchhiking. He said the woman he saw was holding up a sign displaying the names of southern cities Ceyhan and İskenderun. Sergici also said a man wearing a brown t-shirt was beside her, but he was not sure if they were together.

Previous reports featured witness accounts saying Bacca was most recently seen in the industrial town of Gebze near İstanbul. An investigation revealed that she made her last credit card purchase on March 31 in Gebze.

Bacca’s family in Milan filed a criminal complaint in Turkey, as reported on April 9 by the Anatolia news agency, and Maggiore confirmed that a prosecutor has been appointed in Italy to investigate the case.

Italian diplomatic missions in Turkey and Syria were notified of Bacca’s disappearance, but the Italian Foreign Ministry was later notified that Bacca had never entered Syria, Anatolia said.

Bacca, 33, and her companion, Silvia Moro, departed Milan on March 8, planning to hitchhike to Tel Aviv as part of their artistic project, “Brides on Tour.” The two, wearing wedding dresses, separated from one another when they arrived in İstanbul on March 19. They were supposed to meet again later in Beirut, each of them following their own route.

However no contact was made with Bacca after she sent a voicemail message on March 31 to her boyfriend in Italy from İstanbul.

Pippa Bacca, where are you?

Asking “Pippa Bacca, where are you?” the Web site bridesontour.fotoup.net, meant to trace the progress of Bacca and Moro, has pleaded for anyone to write if they have seen Bacca.

The site bears the following message: “Family, friends and the whole Fotoup staff, which is keeping track of Pippa and Silvia’s performance, are in deep anguish, waiting for news from her. … We all hope that this sudden stop in contacts from her part is caused by technical problems. We are waiting to receive news from her, anyone who can help us please write on this blog or to the following address, spose@fotoup.net.”

12.04.2008
News
YONCA POYRAZ DOĞAN

Oh my Goodness, Gebze is where my in laws live.

'World peace' hitcher is murdered

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7344381.stm

An Italian woman artist who was hitch-hiking to the Middle East dressed as a bride to promote world peace has been found murdered in Turkey.

The naked body of Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo, 33, known as Pippa Bacca, was found in bushes near the city of Gebze on Friday.

She had said she wanted to show that she could put her trust in the kindness of local people.

Turkish police say they have detained a man in connection with the killing.

Reports say the man led the police to the body.

Autopsy

Ms di Marineo was hitch-hiking from Milan to Lebanon with a fellow artist on their "Brides on Tour" project.

They had separated in Istanbul, planning to reunite in Beirut.



Ms di Marineo was last seen on 31 March in Gebze.

An Italian embassy official told the Associated Press news agency police tracked the man when he put a new SIM card into Ms di Marineo's mobile phone.

Local media identified the suspect only by the initials MK and said he had a previous conviction for theft.

Ms di Marineo's sister, who had gone to Turkey to look for her, identified the body. An autopsy is being conducted in Istanbul.

"Her travels were for an artistic performance and to give a message of peace and of trust, but not everyone deserves trust," another sister, Maria, told the Italian news agency, Ansa.

This is so tragic... not a very good advertising for turkey either...

Why would she take the risk and hitch hike. We have a German saying: Wenn Du Dich in Gefahr begibst, kommst Du darin um. When you put yourself into danger, you will succumb to it.

the matter is to have self-control in terms of everything,this is the case that most of turkish guys don`t have unfortunately! as how we cannot accuse all the turkish people, should we improve on this matter a lot!she had been hitch-hiking from italy to turkey without any problems but when she came to a big town just close to istanbul she was raped,killed and half of her body was burried under surface!!!illiteracy and poverty have been the problems that turkey hasn`t solved since the beginning of the republic.when it comes to speech everybody is Muslim, but when it comes to show it everybody fails!!

This truly is dreadful. And it was a very bad idea. A woman hitch-hiking alone is dangerous. And doing it in a wedding dress made her an even bigger target. I am so sorry this happened but I think most people in Istanbul would have told her this is a horrible idea.
As safe as we all want to make Turkey sound, sometimes it is not. Good judgement just was not used here.
(No disrespect for this young girl, only sympathy for her and her family...)

Yeah, we can see that it was not a good idea, but it shouldn't have to be that way. Although it's surely not just a problem of Turkey, I think Gratefuldead does have a good point about Turkish men not having enough self control. It could be related to the fact that men are not held accountable in a system where women have to cover themselves, otherwise they are the ones who are guilty for "provoking" the man, instead of holding the men guilty for their actions and expecting them to control themselves. Of course it's not a simple cause-effect relationship, but these are factors that contribute to the final shape of the culture.

I feel very sorry for that girl and her family, however, as someone who lived in Venezuela for over 25 years, I can't see how a person, and especially a woman, would go hitchhiking around the world. Sadly, there's psychos everywhere and hitchhikers are one of their favored targets.

when she was alive:

http://incertezzacreativa.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/pippa_21.jpg

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/turkey/8682937.asp?gid=231&sz=67282

http://www.geni.com/profile/index/383192893400011527

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7344381.stm

http://www.yeniasya.com.tr/2008/04/13/karikatur/default.htm




This is from a Turkish newspaper.
P.S. Yuzkarasi means shameful

http://digg.com/world_news/Define_irony_World_peace_hitcher_is_murdered


Define irony - 'World peace' hitcher is murdered
news.bbc.co.uk — She "wanted to show that she could put her trust in the kindness of local people", so she set out to hitchhike to the Middle East. End result: she gets murdered in Turkey at the start of her journey.

deleted

Quite amazing how easily we condemn women for what they wear and completely overlook a murder committed by a man!

Don't get me wrong, I dont "blame" this poor victim for her tragic end - obviously the blame there lies with the beast that murdered her. But it is truly sad that she apparently did not appreciate the level of risk. And by the way, this level of risk has nothing to do with Turkey - the same could have happened in the USA, Canada, Germany, etc.

-

In Turkish, what a tragedy:
http://www.yeniasir.com.tr/ya2008/04/13/index.php3?kat=dis&sayfa=dis1&bolum=gunluk

http://w9.gazetevatan.com/haberdetay.asp?detay=GELIN_YOLCULUGU_mezarda_son_buldu_172605_1&Newsid=172605

I'm really sorry for her [*].

I spent a lot of time hitch-hiking when I was in secondary school and never considered it dangerous. Nowadays I'd never get into a car with a stranger. This means of transport is dangerous, not only in Turkey but everywhere else in the world. An artistic statement she tried to make was proven wrong. This world is not a safe place, especially for a woman travelling alone.

I was shocked reading the comments about her clothes. A bridal dress is not really a bikini or other kind of provoking clothes that might have given the man an impression that she was a prostitute (of course, even if she was wearing a bikini it wouldn't have given him the right to do as he did). The dress cannot justify his attack. He's a scum and deserves to die. Besides, a person who rapes and kills would do the same no matter what clothes a woman would be wearing.

really not easy to find true words to tell our sadness about this tragic event,we wish condolence to her family and loved ones

As always I find catwoman's views the most intelligent and balanced. Women often seem to have to take the sole blame and responsibilty for a man's failure to uphold sexual mores. What has happened to Pippa is tragic and of course could have happened anywhere in the world. Many people have called her stupid and misguided for hitch-hiking in the name of peace but I would like to throw a different light on her actions. Let us also consider her a brave, caring and wise young woman. She knew what ails the world and, unlike many of us (including myself), took the time and trouble to try and change people's perceptions about trusting and respecting one another. She did that as only an artist could, in a symbolic and creative way. She believed in the goodness of mankind and wanted people to remember their basic humanity. She was making her demonstration in troubled areas so was no fool to the fact that she may be in danger. She doubtless had her fears. Did Pippa make a diffence? - she certainly has and in a way far greater than she imagined. Nations are mourning her loss and more significantly the murder of the principle she was trying to demonstrate - for people to feel free to love and trust one another. Barr the few maniacs polluting society, we all want to live in peace and harmony. The outrage we collectively feel brings us closer together and reminds us of how we should behave towards one another. Pippa has inspired in me a hope for the future. There are young people out there willing to take risks to get their message across - to try and build a better world. With all my heart I wish she had not had to pay for her ideals with her life - but her death has not been in vain. My sincere condolences go out to her family and friends - their loss is great.

oh my dear angel Pippa...
this is the moment when the world stands still and words fail to express!
a tour for peace in turkey ha? it should have been the last stop of the tour if u were to include it.
didnt anyone tell you such tours and walks for peace usually end in rape and murder in this country?
didnt anyone tell you such innocent activities for peace are the ones most exposed to such brutal attacks!
i m sure u knew all these and that's why u included also turkey...
you will never walk alone! but im afraid not hand in hand with huge crowds from these lands, at least not in near future (such as a thousand years or so..)
you lived for peace, "rest" in "peace"!

Outpouring of grief in wake of rape, murder
Monday, April 14, 2008




The rape and murder of a 33-year-old Italian artist on her way to Israel to spread a message of peace produces deep felt pain and shame in Turkey, with newspapers headlining with expressions of sorrow for the victim’s family and Italy

ISTANBUL – TDN with wire dispatches


The murder of an Italian artist and peace activist who was hitchhiking in Turkey dressed in a wedding gown dominated newspaper headlines and Internet blogs yesterday with messages expressing sorrow and shame.

The body of Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo, known as Pippa Bacca, was found Saturday near Tavşanlı village of Gebze region near Istanbul.

Police located Bacca's body after a man who had been detained admitted he raped and murdered the activist. The suspect, who was arrested after he was traced when he used Bacca's cell phone, said he took her in his truck and murdered her. He later directed the police to where he had left her body.

Bacca, 33, had embarked on a journey with her friend Silvia Moro on March 8, hitchhiking from Milan and heading to Israel as a part of their “Brides on Tour” project aimed at pleading for peace in conflict areas.

Bacca arrived in Turkey on March 19 after hitchhiking through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Hungary while wearing a wedding dress of her own design. The two artists separated in Istanbul and planned to meet in Tel Aviv.

However, when she failed to contact her family after March 31, her family requested assistance from the Italian Foreign Ministry. It had been more than 10 days since Bacca called her fiancé Giovanni Chiari. Italian authorities called for Turkish help and the police started an investigation that led to the suspect. The suspect, a father of two, was known as an aggressive and unbalanced person.

Elena Manzoni, Bacca's mother said they were hoping to find her alive until the last moment, the Anatolia news agency reported. She said they were not particularly worried since she had been hitchhiking for a long time, and thus knew how to avoid taking unnecessary risks.

"She was a determined person when it had to do with art,” she said.

Manzoni also said she believed Turks were good people in general and added that “unfortunately that person who took her to his truck was a pervert who decided to kill her and there is nothing to do in such situations.”

Sorrow and pain:

Several Turkish newspapers yesterday expressed deep sorrow after the murder of the Italian artist was made public Saturday.

Daily Milliyet headlined with "Our grief is great" in Italian with letters printed in the colors of the Italian flag against a black background.

The daily Sabah headlined with “Pippa forgive us” both in Turkish and Italian on a black background. “We are ashamed” was the headline of daily Yenişafak. The daily reported that Turkey was ashamed of the accused. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his sorrow for the murdered artist, before his flight to Qatar yesterday.

“I offer my condolences to her family and to the Italian people. I believe that the justice system will make the necessary judgment,” he said.

“I cannot find any words to describe this vile act,” Erdoğan said, responding to a question on the possible effects of the criminal act on Turkey's image abroad.

“I thank our police force. Arresting the perpetuator in such a short time is important for us. But I particularly thank the victim's sister and her family for their attitude, which takes into account the realities of the world,” Erdoğan said.

The Pasqualino family's statements were especially moving, Erdoğan said.

“It is particularly upsetting that the victim, subjected to such dreadful treatment, carried a message of peace,” he added.

Turkish Daily News

I was reading murat belge's daily column this morning regarding this incident.
He is arguing that this is a single incident and the entire country should not be held account.
But adding: is it really true?
He is saying that if this man's desire is not causing him to rape all the time, what made him what he did when he saw a 'foreigner' and why?
Somehow, when these crimes committed against the 'foreigners', serious chunk of the population think that 'it is not bad'. Becasue it is not done to 'us', it is done to 'foreigners'.

He is giving some examples like killing the priest in trabzon (many people were very proud of the killer), killing of Hrant Dink (he is a hero to many Turks), Mehmet ali agca/ our international assasion/tried to kill pope (he is a hero to too many).
Anyway, murat belge, thinks that it is a result of our nationalism.

Lots of good points were raised here about this issue. I really liked handsom's ideas about foreign women being seen as less worthy then Turkish women. This issue keeps coming up again and again.
One certain thing is that Turkey needs some self reflection. Again, this is not a problem only of Turkey, absolutely not, but there are some very unique issues that Turkey has that really have to change.

I see some women in Gebze are considering finishing the walk to Israel. This would be touching...

I also think it would be amazing if women from Gebze completed the demonsrtation to Israel. Anyone who feels such a demonstration is pointless, because mankind is inherently evil, may tragically be missing the point. Life is always a fight between good and evil. The people who are prepared to follow in Pipa's footsteps are taking on the battle for higher ideals and a better way of life. They don't want to see evil win. Participation in the demonstration may also help dispel any ideas that the murder of a foreign woman in Turkey is culturally perceived as insignificant. Pipa's parents and family could have been consumed with anger at the Turkish people because Turkey was the country in which she was brutally raped and murdered. From what I have read, the family have only spoken well of the Turkish people and thanked them for their kindness. They acknowledged that regarding Pipa's death, there was only one culprit. They have not taken the evil act of one man and condemned an entire nation or mankind. At times it seems the world is full of evil and philosophers have long argued about the true nature of man. I would argue people are basically good. The only time evil triumphs is when good people stand by and do nothing.

I agree that the actions of Pipa's family is very commendable and touching. But you can't ignore that there are dangers in the world by hoping for the best in people. Just my opinion. I travel alone quite a bit and stories like this only make me more aware that danger exists in the world.

"Victim blaming" is holding the victim of a crime to be in whole or in part responsible for what has happened to them. A global survey of attitudes toward sexual violence by the Global Forum for Health Research shows that victim-blaming concepts are at least partially accepted in many countries. In some countries, victim-blaming is more common, and women who have been raped are sometimes deemed to have behaved improperly. Often, these are countries where there is a significant social divide between the freedoms and status afforded to men and women.

Only 16% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported to the police (Rape in America: A Report to the Nation. 1992). 1 of 6 U.S. women has experienced an attempted or completed rape.

I agree that "victim blaming" is wrong. Although personally, I feel like I have a responsibility to myself (and those who care for me) to keep myself from danger. I see this young women who set out to prove the world is generally a kind place...and it is obviously not. There is no way I blame this young woman for what happened to her but on the same note...if she had not decided to hitch-hike through the middle east, she would still be alive today. For me it isn't so much a question of who is to blame, but a question of self perservation.

It's true Elisabeth that she either miscalculated the risk or was too naive to see it or that she had bad luck and out of 80% of good guys she met a rapist. As much as I'd hate to see my daughter hitchhiking alone, I find it hardly an excuse for the rapist. How far should a woman go to "protect" herself from danger? Rosie suggested covering herself. To me the idea that women should cover to avoid male aggression is a perverted idea. Doing so is a slap on men's face. It means you consider them primitive beasts unable to control themselves and this is not true for most men. Just like it is impossible to avoid murder or theft even if you do stick to some precautions, if you are to be raped, nothing will prevent it once you're targeted.

I am ashamed as a Turk!

Sorry Pippa, Italian people please accept our most sincere apology.

Please be assured the murderer will get what he deserved! (if they can put him with others in prison, if not alone in a cell)

Every society has some bad apples. Unfortunately Pippa encountered one of our bad apple.

My fellow citizens! What happened us? Are we proud of our world-reknowned hospitality? What we lost? Did we lost our soul?

Turkish women will finish route....

Keith, you must have overlooked my post today:

http://www.turkishclass.com/forumTitle_7_29814