Agitu was found dead in her home in Val dei Mocheni, Trentino, Italy. The entrepreneur and shepherdess from Ethiopia would turn 43 on January 1st. An employee of her company confessed the murder followed by rape.
by Juliana da Penha
One of the main news in the Italian media, the murder of Agitu brought much indignation. Especially among women. In Italy, a woman is murdered every three days, according to a report from Eures.
“When will this massacre of women end? When? Today, feminicide has extinguished the smile of a dear and sweet sister. Rest in peace Agitu. We will miss you a lot”, twitted the Italian writer with SomaIi origin Igiaba Sciego.
Agitu, originally from Addis Ababa, was born into a tribe of nomadic shepherds. She went to Rome to study Sociology when she was 18 years old and returned to Ethiopia. However, she left her country again in 2010, fleeing threats for her commitment by denouncing “land grabbing” by multinationals.
In Italy, in Valle dei Mocheni, Trentino, she began to preserve a goat species in extinction, the Mochena goat.
An example of female entrepreneurship, she set up the company “La capra felice” (The happy goat) producing cheeses and cosmetic products with goat’s milk.
She has become an example of organic and sustainable production.
Agitu’s work has been recognized throughout Italy, her story published in many medias, she attended different events and has been rewarded for her commitment to preserving goats and her production of organic products. One of the awards was the Slow Cheese Resistenza Casearia award, in 2015.
It was not the first time that Agitu had her life under threat in the hands of men. She publicly denounced her neighbour for stalking, racially motivated threats and aggression. For months she was threatened by a man and one of the reasons was that she offered work and apprenticeship for refugees from African origins. “This neighbour does not like the colour of our skin and does what it can to create confusion,” she said at an interview.
On December 29, her life was taken by a man who worked for her, shepherding her goats. According to him, for financial reasons. The man confessed to the crime and also revolted that he had committed rape after the attack. The man beat her in her head with a hammer. He was arrested.
Agitu was found lifeless after friends called the police because they thought it was strange that she didn’t come to a meeting and didn’t answer the phone.
The murder is a tragic end for a woman who brought so many good things into the world.
Until when will we lose our sisters to violence?
Rest in peace Agitu. We will never forget your legacy.