My name is Maria Antonietta, I am from Reggio Calabria, and I have two children, Annie, 26, and William, 16. When I married Ciro, I thought I was living a dream, a magic... but over the years, he turned into a monster. He would beat me, call me "whore", and I didn't react because I loved him, prayed, and hoped he would change.

On January 5th, 2018, after one of many nights of beatings, my daughter Annie got up and saw him continuing to hit me, more and more. She pretended to go get bread, but in reality, she called her uncle, who alerted the police. William opened the door, and Ciro was caught in the act and arrested. But he didn't give up, and despite the restraining order, he tried to reach me and was arrested again. The trial sentenced him to 3 years and 2 months for the violence against me and my daughter, and he ended up under house arrest at his parents' house in Ercolano, Naples. From there, he continued to call, send messages, and harass me, even on social media. I reported him two more times.
One day, he escaped from house arrest to come to Reggio Calabria to find me. Sensing the grave danger I was in, his father immediately went to the Police, saying, "My son has escaped to go to his wife; he will harm her," but no one in Reggio Calabria was warned. I found out from family members informed by my father-in-law. But he managed to reach me, rammed my car, pinned me against a wall, and set my car on fire. When I saw the flames, I gathered my courage and got out from the passenger side, where he immediately threw gasoline on me, shouting, "DIE!"

I don't know with what strength, while burning, I managed to escape and call the police. I was a fireball, running, tearing off my clothes, feeling the intense heat burning my face. But I said, "I will not die! I must return to my children," shouting. I remember the fear and the courage. At one point, I saw a puddle; it had rained the day before, and I threw myself into it. I am alive thanks to the thought of my children and the strength that led me to that puddle. In the end, Ciro was sentenced to 18 years plus three years of supervised release. I was hospitalized for 20 months and underwent more than 200 surgeries. I don't know how I managed to face this ordeal, but I can't overcome the anger because not only was I not listened to, but I was betrayed by the State, which instead of protecting and safeguarding me, armed Ciro's hand.
I thank my daughter, my father, who never left me alone, but above all, I thank God, who gave me the strength and did not want me with Him.