by: AICS (Associazione Italiana Cyberbullismo e Sexting) APS | data 13/04/2026
Vincent Plicchi was a 23-year-old from Bologna. By day he worked as a tattoo artist; in the evenings he put on a mask — that of Inquisitor Ghost — and became a cosplayer followed by over 330,000 people on TikTok around the world. Vincent entertained, replied to messages, and talked to people who were struggling, offering them comfort. For many, he was someone who made them feel less alone.
His father, Matteo Plicchi, remembers him this way:
"Vincent was elegant, generous and kind-hearted. He could be like a cat: guarded and introverted, but also ironic and creative. He managed to build a deep bond with the people who followed him, thanks to his sensitivity. He had recently learned to let go, to open up more to others — maybe that's exactly what got him."
In 2023 a defamation campaign engulfed him within days: screenshots taken out of context, false accusations of pedophilia and death threats left Vincent unable to see a way out. The very community that had followed him turned into his tormentor. Despite evidence of his innocence and the support of his family, Vincent was submerged by a hatred that never ended. He took his own life during a TikTok livestream. He was 23 years old.
Those who orchestrated that campaign publicly confessed and apologised. The prosecutor's office archived the family's complaints: impossible to charge foreign nationals with the crime of incitement to suicide. Vincent and his family, to this day, have still not received justice.
We at AICS — Associazione Italiana Cyberbullismo e Sexting — work every day in direct contact with digital violence. We know the numbers well: 22.3% of Italian adolescents between 11 and 17 have experienced cyberbullying. 19% of victims have had suicidal thoughts. Only 16% ask an adult for help.
But numbers alone are not enough. Vincent's story is not an isolated case — it is something that happens more often than we want to see. In Italy there is still no effective law against organised digital violence, and platforms struggle to counter it.
That is why we chose to support VINCENT — the short film produced by Fase 3 and directed by Valerio Lo Muzio. Because cinema can do what awareness campaigns often cannot: not just tell a story, but make people live it — placing the viewer inside a true story and confronting them with real questions.
The film tells the story of Vincent's final days with a respectful gaze, far from any sensationalism. It was developed with mental health professionals and our team at AICS to ensure a responsible, careful and informed representation. The goal is not only to tell the story: it is to shine a light on what happened and contribute, concretely, to demanding justice.
The role of Vincent will be played by Haroun Fall, an actor already known to audiences from the Netflix series Zero.
VINCENT does not stop at festivals. This film was also made to reach where it can make a real difference: among young people. That is why we built the project "Un Ciak contro il Cyberbullismo", which directly involves students — not as spectators but as part of the process. Students from Liceo Laura Bassi in Bologna, Liceo Toschi in Parma and Liceo Torricelli-Ballardini in Faenza are actively participating in the writing and making of the film, and will also be protagonists of its distribution. The short film will then be brought to over 30 secondary schools across Italy, reaching more than 6,000 students. Every screening will be followed by an open discussion, guided by psychologists, educators and AICS experts. So that this story does not remain just a film, but becomes something to talk about — together.
The project has already received the patronage of the City of Bologna, the Fondazione Reggio Children and the financial support of the Regione Emilia-Romagna. Part of the film already exists, but to complete it we need to take one final step.
We are raising €13,000 to cover the final stages of preparation and the shoot: from closing the screenplay to casting, through to equipment rental. If we do not reach our goal, the film cannot be completed and all contributions will be returned.
Filming is scheduled for September 2026, with an official premiere in December in Bologna.
VINCENT is not just a film. It is a concrete way to bring a true story into schools. To make those who watch it feel what can really happen behind a screen. Every contribution, small or large, brings us closer to that.
When Vincent's father, Matteo Plicchi, entrusted us with his son's story, he said: "He was at the most beautiful moment of his life. He had started to trust other people." That sentence has never left us.
Help us make this film. Help us demand justice for Vincent.
L’Associazione Italiana di prevenzione al cyberbullismo e al sexting (A.I.C.S.) nasce con l’intento di prevenire e contrastare a livello nazionale la diffusione dei fenomeni del Cyberbullismo tra gli adolescenti e con l’intento di aiutare le vittime a difendersi. La nostra MISSION è la cura delle relazioni digitali attraverso incontri e formazioni rivolti a studenti, genitori e docenti che teniamo in centinaia di scuole in tutta Italia. Gli OBIETTIVI dell’associazione A.I.C.S. sono: 1) prevenire e contrastare i fenomeni del cyberbullismo e del sexting tra gli adolescenti; 2) sensibilizzare la comunità a livello nazionale sulle tematiche connesse ai rischi del mondo digitale; 3) organizzare sull’intero territorio nazionale eventi di divulgazione e formazione; 4) creare una community di professionisti specializzati su queste tematiche; 5) promuovere la solidarietà sociale; 7) comunicare informazioni di utilità generale; 8) collaborare con scuole, associazioni ed enti istituzionali, quali luogo di socializzazione e palestra di vita. L’Associazione è composta da un team di psicologi, avvocati e professionisti specializzati nel settore della formazione e scolastico, in particolar modo sul tema del cyberbullismo e dei rischi virtuali.
