Patricia Mayorga, president of the World Association of Women Journalists and Writers – AMMPE-Italy
On the last Friday in November, 13-year-old Aurora fell to the ground from the eighth floor of the building where she lived in Piacenza (northern Italy), the culprit being her 15-year-old ex-boyfriend, who did not accept the end of their relationship. According to the police reconstruction, after some witness statements, the boy not only pushed her, but also prevented her from holding on to the railing by hitting her repeatedly on the hands.
So far this year (20 October) the number of murders of women has risen to 89, although in the last week five more murders of women have increased the number. On the one hand, the age of the victims (over 70 years old) murdered by their partners (or ex-partners) after decades of marriage or cohabitation is striking, but also the age is decreasing, as in the case of 13-year-old Aurora and her 15-year-old murderer.
In statements to the newspaper ‘Il Corriere della sera’, Dr. Claudio Mencacci, president of the Italian Society of Neuropsychopharmacology, points out that what is observed ‘is the growth of violent behaviour that is accepted by young men… a kind of normalisation of violence, which in reality is the synthesis of many problems, including a lack of respect for women’s choices, a toxic masculinity, aggressive behavioural models, and above all a total absence of an education in empathy’.
The regulations
And it is not that there are no laws, since in Italy, gender violence is addressed from a regulatory point of view through various legislative provisions, the main ones being number 119/2013, known as “Femicide Law”, which introduced the crime of voluntary manslaughter aggravated by the relationship of kinship or cohabitation with the female victim and also strengthened the penalties for the crimes of domestic abuse, stalking and sexual violence.
The Italian Penal Code also contains specific provisions to address gender-based violence. For example, Article 572 regulates mistreatment in the family environment, punishing anyone who mistreats a person belonging to his or her family or cohabitant. Article 612-bis typifies the crime of stalking, which consists of systematic and repeated persecutory conduct against a person, provoking a serious state of anxiety or fear. Articles 609-bis et seq. regulate crimes of sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault and sexual abuser.
On the other hand, in Italy, various services and supports are offered to women victims of violence to help them out of dangerous situations and to provide them with protection and assistance. Some of the main types of support offered are the Anti-Violence Centers, specialized structures that provide psychological, legal and economic support to women victims of violence and also offer counselling, emotional support, information and counselling.
Then there are the so-called “Shelters”, which are safe and protected places where women victims of violence and their children can find temporary accommodation, psychological support, legal assistance and help in finding long-term housing solutions.
In Italy there are emergency numbers, such as 1522, which offers 24-hour telephone assistance and counselling to women victims of violence and provides information, emotional support and instructions on how to get immediate help; similarly, there are other helpline numbers maintained by associations that can be searched on the Internet.
Women victims of violence can also access, free of charge, legal aid services made available by the Italian legislator. Lawyers specialized in gender-based violence can provide legal advice, assistance in filing complaints and legal representation during court proceedings.
Moreover, social and economic reintegration programs are also available to help women rebuild their lives after the experience of violence, including vocational training services, job search support and financial assistance to ensure financial stability.
It is important to emphasize that support for women victims of violence is a commitment that involves a variety of actors, including government institutions, non-governmental organizations and social services. The goal is to provide an integrated approach that includes psychological assistance, physical protection, legal support and reintegration programs to help women rebuild a life free of violence.
Economic violence is another, less obvious but no less lethal form of violence: it involves using financial control to exert power and dominance over a woman’s life. In this form of violence, the perpetrator controls and limits the woman’s access to financial resources and her economic independence, making her dependent and vulnerable.
There are several ways in which economic violence can manifest itself. For example, a controlling partner may prevent a woman from working or studying, thus limiting her opportunities to earn an income or achieve financial independence. In addition, the abuser may deny the woman access to money or control over shared assets, forcing her to be totally dependent on him for daily expenses.
The consequences of economic violence can be devastating for the women involved. Financial dependency can leave them trapped in abusive relationships and make it difficult for them to break out of the cycle of violence. This is why it is important to recognise economic violence as a serious problem by seeking to support women victims of economic violence through the promotion of policies and laws that protect their economic rights.
In conclusion, beyond official declarations and specific regulations, governmental budget cuts to institutions in charge of counteracting gender violence in Italy are making it increasingly difficult to support work against violence (of any kind) against women. And the eternal discussions between the right wing, which is in favour of stricter laws, and the more progressive sectors, which rightly insist on emotional education right from school, do not help either.
