"The Secret of Fairy Lina"

The memory of Melevisione in the minds of those born in the 1990s is indelible. Besides the entertainment made up of songs, dances, skits and cartoons aired thanks to the energy of apples, the Rai program was an educational tool, a platform for talking to children about a wide variety of topics: from education to death, from adoption to disability. Many people may not remember it, but among the "special" episodes is one entitled The Secret of Fairy Lina focusing on sexual abuse. TikTok has resurfaced the video in which Paola di Rienzo, who plays the character of Fata Lina, tells, with a mix of shame and fear, host Tonio Cartonio about receiving "wrong attentions" from a guard of the Oak King. The actress also talked about it in a recent interview, explaining that expression was studied by the authors with the help of psychotherapists, to "give children keys for comprehension and resolution."

A very important issue

It is impossible to deny how impressive it is to watch these childhood champions address such a sensitive issue and it is even more striking that some of the children who watched the episode at the time could recognize themselves in what happened to Fata Lina. This is the real power of the video: staging abuse with empathy, sensitivity, and language that children can understand. With his gentle manner and the help of a nursery rhyme, Tonio Cartonio reminds his friend that there are secrets so heavy, dark and painful that we often cannot find the words to tell them. It is only saying them out loud that can free us from the trauma, triggering a healing process. 

"Ho nascosto quella cosa in fondo a me perché se non la vedo lei non c’è. Non ne parlo per non essere più triste perché se non la dico non esiste. Ma laggiù in fondo a me nel buio denso anche se non la vedo io ci penso e lei beve quel buio come inchiostro e cresce sempre più, diventa un mostro. Ma io so cosa ai mostri fa paura: il sole che taglia in due la notte scura. Apro la mia finestra a questo sole ed apro la mia bocca alle parole."

Even for children 

Children and preadolescents have the right to know what sexual abuse is and what they can do not to fall victim to it, but also that acts of violence can take different forms and hide in our daily lives. And they also need to know that although they may feel shame or fear, they can speak out, report it because there will always be someone willing to listen, believe, protect them. With its special episode, Melevisione has taken an important first step in this direction, but family, social and media responsibility in conveying this kind of message is crucial. Starting as early as childhood by doing sex education, consent, equality, and inclusion is an indispensable tool to eliminate stereotypes and victim-blaming, that is, the mechanism that leads to blaming a survivor for the violence suffered.