Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ruffled feathers on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by connecting such violence with immigration.
“Now I will be called racist, but there is a higher incidence, unfortunately, in cases of sexual violence, by immigrants, especially those who enter illegally, because when you’ve got nothing things can degenerate and that can lead anywhere,” she said in an interview with Donna Moderna.
Meloni continued: “The focus here is primarily on security; the cultural dimension is less relevant. We need to ensure the presence of law enforcement, ensure that crimes are properly addressed and ensure that when someone commits a crime, they face the consequences, which is another issue we have in Italy.
“What more can be done for the training of judges and law enforcement officers who handle cases of violence against women? It’s very difficult to understand how someone reacts or might react; there’s an issue of fear, of shame, and it’s an extremely intimate sphere, so specific training is absolutely necessary,” the PM added.
She went on to note that her government had hired extra police and issued new criminal laws “to combat the rampant insecurity in our cities”.
Her coalition partner, Matteo Salvini, also referred to violence against women, posting a list of victims on his social media X page on November 25, many of whom had been killed by foreign nationals.
“Defending girls … also means recognising the inevitable and growing incidence of foreign aggressors, a worrying fact that in no way diminishes Italian cases but highlights the dangerous consequences of uncontrolled immigration, often coming from countries that do not share Western principles and values,” Salvini wrote.
“It is the moral duty of all of us to preserve and defend them at all costs, for the safety of women today and tomorrow.”
