Sharon Verzeni and the Paderno Dugnano Massacre. Normality and Atrocity: Evil Inside “Quiet” Lives

This article is published in issue 37 of Vanity Fair on newsstands until September 10, 2024.

The recent crimes that have affected Sharon Verzeni and the family of Paderno Dugnano are not only tragic for the loss of human life, but also for what they reveal about our society. What makes these episodes particularly disturbing is their apparent lack of motive and the context of normality in which they occurred. We like to think, in fact, that normality and brutality never coincide; that a quiet, ordinary and common life protects us from pain, cruelty and absurdity. But violence is not a phenomenon foreign to life; it can emerge suddenly, even in the most unexpected contexts. These events force us to rethink our relationship with normality and to recognize that violence is indeed the product of extreme contexts and marginalized individuals, but it is also the absolutely unreasonable. We must have the strength to understand the reasons for discomfort and unease, take care of the mental health of each member of society and at the same time not forget that life itself is incomprehensible, and that evil can be stopped but not eradicated; it inhabits us all, in different ways and measures. And not all horror can be understood, not all tragedies can be prevented and, often, it is in the ordinary that the roots of brutality are hidden.
Our tendency to see normality as a shield against violence is right and understandable, but it also hides risks: it can lead to a false sense of security, and to ignoring danger signals in apparently ordinary contexts. Violence is not always the result of obvious external factors or clearly disturbed individuals. Sometimes it has no roots anywhere: this is frightening but unavoidable.. But its origins are often hidden in the folds of ordinary life, in small unresolved conflicts, in accumulated frustrations or unaddressed mental health problems, in the effort to appear normal. The social pressure to conform to an image of stability can lead people to hide their problems, making them worse. It is essential to recognize that normality itself is an ever-evolving social construct. This awareness should push us to be more flexible and inclusive in our definition of normality, allowing for a greater diversity of experiences and ways of being without stigma. It is necessary, however, to create a culture that values ​​authenticity and emotional well-being more than forced adherence to unsustainable standards of normality. These tragic events remind us that violence is a complex and multifaceted reality of the human condition. Addressing it requires an equally complex approach, combining individual awareness, social responsibility, effective public policies and a deep understanding of the fragile and unstable nature of humanity. Only through a collective and continuous effort can we hope to reduce the incidence of such tragedies and create a safer and more supportive society for all.

To subscribe to Vanity Fair, click here.