A controversial council leaflet
advising high-school students in a northern Italian city to
avoid smiles and flashy clothing in a bid to stem the risk of
rapists attacking them was withdrawn from circulation and the
councillor concerned demoted Thursday evening.
In the leaflet, which spurred protests from high school girls
and young women, the council in Cividale del Friuli near Udine
in Friuli issued a proposed 'anti-rape code' saying girls and
young women should avoid "smiling ironically or provocatively to
strangers".
They were also told to "avoid wearing valuable objects...and
remember that the aggressor observes and selects his victims
also on the basis of certain details like jewels and excessively
elegant or showy clothing".
Students staged demonstrations against the suggest code with a
local student leader, Beatrice Bertossi, saying: "We are
protesting because we deem unacceptable the phrases contained in
this leaflet, but we also contest the advisability of a leaflet
aimed at potential victims, when it is well-known that the
prevention of violence must above all start from the
aggressors".
Students displayed placards in high schools including "we
condemn patriarchal violence in schools', "hands off our bodies,
violence is never justified" and "against all oppression,
against all oppressors".
Bertoss said the students were holding meetings and also talking
to their teachers to set up fresh protest initiatives "to
reaffirm our choral condemnation of an initiative of this kind.
"We are convinced that you fight violence with education, not by
blaming the victims".
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