It is every parent’s nightmare and, not surprisingly, news of the brutal murder of 15-year-old Sarah Scazzi is headline news today in Italy.

It is proof, if proof were needed, that human beings are capable of monstrous acts.

It also shows that television is a medium devoid of morals or integrity when it come to reporting such horrific events.

The media circus rolls in like an out of control juggernaut, sacrificing decency in the name of spectacle.

Sarah had been missing for 42 days and yesterday came the confession by her Uncle that he strangled his niece, then raped her before dumping the girl’s body in a well.

The news of the killer’s confession was delivered live on TV, on a programme in which Sarah’s mother was present. Shockingly, no one thought it appropriate to suspend the broadcast as this breaking news came in.

Today daytime TV pours over the sordid details and show earlier interviews with the uncle faking tears for the missing girl. These interviews are continually replayed and the photos of Sarah are repeated until they cease to be sources of information but become part of a voyeuristic entertainment package.

The case would not have had the same impact (or coverage) if Sarah hadn’t had a Facebook profile, if  videos of her did not exist or if the TV crew hadn’t interviewed the uncle.

And what really can be gained by dwelling on the sordid  details of this terrible crime anyway?  This, sadly, is a crime where no lessons can be learnt. The only person to blame is the monster who committed the barbaric crime.

The medium is the message and the message here is that there is a sickness at the heart of our so-called civilised society which TV exploits without offering the compassion and humanity needed to bring about change.

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