The New York Times on Sunday dedicated
a long article to the apparent spate of high-profile femicides
and rapes in Italy and how they have exposed deeply entrenched
cultural attitudes towards women and divisions over how to
tackle the problem of gender-based violence.
The article began by citing two recent alleged gang rapes in
Caivano and Palermo, highlighting how Premier Giorgia Meloni,
the country's first female prime minister, chose to frame the
former as a problem of law and order in a deprived and
crime-ridden Naples backwater.
It also stressed the amplifying role of social media in the
Palermo incident, which became a vehicle for messages of support
to the victim but also for insults and victim blaming.
The newspaper noted recent comments by Meloni's partner,
television anchorman Andrea Giambruno, who controversially said
if women avoided getting drunk, they might avoid "getting found
by the wolf."
It said such attitudes permeate even the courts in Italy, "where
sexuality and sexual violence are still not always
differentiated".
The article concluded by saying that such treatment often
discourages women from coming forward, citing Ilaria Boiano, a
lawyer for Differenza Donna, which runs the national emergency
number for women who are victims of violence.
"The latest cases are just the tip of the iceberg,
unfortunately," she is quoted as saying.
"Many women don't even report it."
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