It is often said that extreme traumatic events, such as torture and intentional violence, lead to a dramatic fragmentation of the psychic functions of those who suffer them. Similarly, the treatment process can be seen, metaphorically and in fact, as a process of recomposing the fragments of the mind and body of survivors, a bit like the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi, capable of making fractures precious.
The report analyses the period from three points of view:
- the migratory flows arriving in Italy from the Libyan coast;
- the system of abuse and exploitation that is carried out in Libya to the detriment of migrants and refugees;
- the psychological and physical consequences of the violence suffered.
The comparison of two phases is also explored: the three years preceding the Italy-Libya agreement on migrants (February 2014 – January 2017) and the three years following the same agreement (February 2017 – January 2020).
The stories of the survivors describe with dramatic precision the places, the perpetrators and the methods of the violence that is systematically consumed in Libyan territory, inside and outside the detention and kidnapping centers. They recall the grave responsibilities of Italy, the European Union and the entire international community and represent a formidable indictment of the tragedy that is being played out in recent years on the migratory routes that lead through Libya to Europe.
