Education Minister Maurizio Valditara
on Wednesday denied linking femicides to immigration in previous
statements, saying he had spoken about a concerning rise in
sexual violence which can also be attributed to forms of
marginalization due to irregular immigration.
"I never said femicides are the fault of immigrants.
"I said something different, which our country is experiencing a
rising phenomenon of sexual violence, which are another very sad
phenomenon", noted the minister.
"The figures are unfortunately unmistakable and I am sorry that
someone altered them or failed to recognize them.
"And what did I say? I said marginalization and deviance due to
irregular immigration also, and the also is important,
contribute to sexual violence", noted the minister.
On Monday, the education minister had said a rise in rapes and
sexual violence in Italy was linked to irregular migration.
"We must not pretend not to see that the increase in sexual
violence is also linked to forms of marginalization and deviance
that in some way derive from illegal immigration", the minister
said in a video message broadcast during the presentation of the
Giulia Cecchettin Foundation at the Lower House.
The minister noted that an "ideological vision would like to
solve" the issue of gender-based violence by "fighting against
patriarchy while, as a juridical phenomenon, it ended with the
1975 reform of family law".
Valditara on Wednesday said that he welcomed a call by Giulia
Cecchettin's father Gino to dialogue and discuss figures on
gender-based abuse as "we share the same objective, or fighting
any form of violence against women".
The murder a year ago of 22-year-old Cecchettin by her Italian
ex boyfriend shocked Italy and highlighted its problem with
femicide and gender-based violence, leading to the setting up of
the foundation in her name.
Meanwhile on Wednesday Family and Equal Opportunities Minister
Eugenia Roccella said she thought "patriarch exists", asked by
reporters to comment on Valditara's statements.
"New forms of patriarchy also exist, although certainly in the
western world the old forms are fundamentally dissolving, they
are in decline, they resist in other cultures and in other
countries", said Roccella.
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