The Yara Gambirasio case arrives on Netflix, but perhaps we didn't need it

There are recent crime cases that have marked our lives. Whether it's due to their brutality, the young age of the victims, or the way they were reported by Italian television and newspapers, mixing sensationalism and scandal, it doesn't matter. They are in our minds, ever-present. We all remember them. The Erba massacre, the murder of Sarah Scazzi, Meredith Kercher, and Cogne, the Avetrana case. Among these is also the case of Yara Gambirasio, to which Netflix has dedicated a docuseries that will be released on July 16.

The Yara Case: Beyond Any Reasonable Doubt

Five episodes retracing the tragic event that occurred in November 2010 in Brembate di Sopra (BG), and reconstructing the investigations, the judicial process, and the verdict. Yara, only 13 years old, was killed while walking the 700 meters separating her home from the rhythmic gymnastics gym. The culprit is Massimo Bossetti, who plays an active role in this content, with his testimony alongside that of his wife, along with reconstructions and unpublished materials, all put on the table to, according to Netflix: "explore the events related to the case, the accusations of misdirection, and the suspicions about investigative methods."

The controversy over Massimo Bossetti's testimony and the love for true crime

The docuseries has yet to be released, yet the controversy is already raging. Some say it's not right to give Bossetti a chance to speak, others contest the growing interest in true crime, the pernicious desire to comment on violent murders and solve cases DIY-style from home through speculation. Just look at the comments on social networks to understand where this reluctance comes from. The web is full of amateur detectives who claim the man's innocence, who speculate and hypothesize. All very interesting, but who thinks about the family of the murdered 13-year-old? It's impossible not to ask some questions. Is it right to treat crime cases as puzzles or board games, removing them from their connection to reality? And if there really is something wrong with the verdict, whose responsibility is it to rectify it? A Netflix documentary, a TV program, or the proper system, to which we must demand rigor and correctness without pretending to take its place?