It’s almost three years to the day since Denise Pipitone vanished in Mazara del Vallo, Sicily on 1 September, 2004 aged four. She will be seven-years-old next month.
Denise was playing outside the front of her house while lunch was being prepared when it is believed she was kidnapped, and that “nomads” could have been responsible.
Beppo Grillo, Italy’s “most famous comedian”, was asked by Denise’s mother to highlight this heartbreaking story on his blog. She is trying to change the law in Italy about missing children. I find their present laws on kidnapping quite unbelievable: “a great big hole that goes back to an old law, where kidnapping under article 605 of the Penal Code was considered to be an affair (fling). “
She describes her tormented frustration in trying to get help and continuing to raise awareness. Many thanks to Welshcakes Limonchello for bringing this to my attention, she tells me that Denise is regarded as the Sicilian’s Madeleine:
I’m signora Piera Maggio, the mother of the child Denise Pipitone, who was kidnapped 01-09-2004, at Mazara Del Vallo in the province of Trapani in Sicily. Investigations are still going on. I know that you care about things that are happening in our country of Italy, even serious things that at times get simple indifference as their only response. Following on from various telephone conversations in favour of widespread distribution of images of Denise, and other lost children, it seems that not all individuals or companies are bothered about these cases. Using various strategies they come out with the simple response: We don’t want to create a precedent.
The widespread showing of photos of the lost children is very important in the attempt to find them, to keep the awareness high and to encourage people to keep their eyes open. Indifference is the worst thing that can be. Many people consider this sort of thing as something that doesn’t affect them, something that is far away from them, from their family. But it’s not like that. I didn’t imagine that one day I would have chosen the winning number in the lottery of disaster, catapulted into another dimension. And yet that is what I’m living through now.
I know something about this. From the moment that Denise was kidnapped I have been battling hard. Even though we are afflicted by great pain. I am fighting to keep the level of awareness high so that someone will make a relevant notification. I have knocked on many doors to get initiatives for the search. Many have opened their doors to me and I thank them. Many have slammed the door in my face. Unfortunately, there is no organisation in Italy that helps parents of people who have disappeared to circulate the photos or anything else that could be useful. Those who can, fight on their own.
On 23 November 2006, I met up with the Minister Clemente Mastella to propose a new possibility to reform the law on the kidnapping of minors. I don’t know what value will be given to this idea, but silence follows http://www.cerchiamodenise.it/denise/prospettivediriforma.htm.
A great big hole that goes back to an old law, where kidnapping under article 605 of the Penal Code was considered to be an affair (fling). Today even children are kidnapped. Signor Grillo, if you read the documentation that is attached and can be found at the website www.cerchiamodenise.it, and if you think it would help us if others can reflect on this, then this is what I am asking. Greetings and thanks for what you can do to help Denise and other children.�
Piera Maggio – Mazara Del Vallo, 29-12-06.
In memory of those who are still missing.
Hi, Ellee. This is a very sad case indeed and people here still talk about it. I think the Madeleine case reminded them. I think the reference to the penal code means that kidnapping is regarded as a “property crime”. There is now an organisation called http://www.missingkids.it
Hello all,
I’m a member of the comittee for the support of Denise Pipitone researches in France.
I’d like to ask everybody reading this and able to do it to print even only one research poster for Denise Pipitone that can be found on the official site cerchiamodenise.org, mentioned in the article. Print one (if you can, several) and spread them over the city you live.
Please give a chance to Denise to recognize herself and to ask for help.
This is the only way to find her back, as no politics, medias are helping.
There is a photo on line now which many people speculate shows Madeleine McCann being carried on the back of a Moroccan women. There is a young girl leading the group who looks to be about age 7 or 8. There seems to be some similarities between her and the pictures I have seen of Denise. Maybe Interpol could be contacted regarding this child in the photo and try to use software to see if there are any similar facial characteristics to Denise.
[…] Similarities have also been noticed between the young girl leading the procession and a missing Sicilian girl Denise Pipitone, who was snatched outside her home three years ago when she was four. A comment was this morning posted on my report about Denise saying: […]
That very definitely looks like Denise in front…fingers crossed they are both found safe and well.
Are the family of Denise in touch with the HTFM group who are helping the McCanns and also publicising the plight of other missing children. Check it out – http://www.helpingtofindmadeleine.com
oregon scientific dshot2…
albuquerque mayoral candidate…
I’m looking for help and advise and to highlight my 16 year old niece Amy Fitzpatrick who went missing in the Costa Del Sol area on January of 2008 as to date there are no clues of her whereabouts. We have posted photo’s and have a utube and bebo site set up. But now we are at a standstill, can you help, do we need another P.R.
Joe, Ireland
[…] Denise Pipitone was only four when she vanished in September 2004 while playing outside the front of her house in Sicily while lunch was being prepared. It was believed she was kidnapped, and that ”nomads” could have been responsible. […]
I read today that after 4 years the little girl has been found how her family must be so relieved