Italy has been rocked by the alleged gang rape of a 13-year-old girl in front of her boyfriend in a public park in the Sicilian city of Catania, the latest in a series of shocking sexual attacks in the country.
The case follows two alleged gang rapes last summer. A group of seven men and teenagers aged between 15 and 18 will be tried for the alleged rape of a 19-year-old girl in Palermo in August.
Weeks later, nine young men were arrested and charged with allegedly raping two cousins, ages 10 and 12, near Naples and broadcasting the attack live on social media. They are also facing trial.
Last month's alleged gang rape in Catania has become not just a symbol of violence against women in the country, but a cause célèbre for Italy's far-right government. The seven suspects were all Egyptian immigrants, three of them under the age of 18, Catania police confirmed to CNN .
A CNN asked the suspect's lawyers for comment. Lawyers for three of them said their clients deny involvement in the attack, while the others have not spoken because their clients are minors.
The case was soon seen as evidence that migrants should be prevented from entering the country.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came to power in September 2022 on an anti-immigration platform, but her efforts to curb irregular migration into the country have so far been unsuccessful.
The men accused in the latest Sicilian case entered Italy by boat in 2021 and 2022 as unaccompanied minors, according to Catania police. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, one of the country's most visible far-right figures, said on X that they should not have been allowed to stay.
Meanwhile, during a visit to Catania, Meloni expressed his solidarity with the alleged rape victim and her family.
“The State will be there, and the State will ensure that justice is done,” she said.
The men accused of raping the 19-year-old woman in Palermo received speedy trials, their lawyers told CNN which means they will be trapped.
The Egyptian suspects have been appointed lawyers who have not yet entered a plea, but the prosecutor in the case has already filed additional charges linked to illegal immigration, he told CNN Alessandro Fidone, the court-appointed lawyer representing two of the suspects.
Those who were now over 18, and therefore not classified as unaccompanied minors, no longer had the right to stay in the country because Egyptians do not qualify for asylum in Italy.
Italy's Interior Ministry has called for a full review of all centers housing unaccompanied minors to see if there are similar cases.
Immigration guilty
Italy has long struggled with the problem of gender-based violence.
In November, both houses of parliament unanimously approved a new measure that strengthens punishments against perpetrators of gender-based violence and increases protection measures for women who fear for their lives.
The legislation was inspired by the case of Giulia Cecchettin, a 22-year-old woman murdered by an ex-boyfriend. She was one of 118 femicides in Italy last year. In 2022, women were victims of 91% of homicides committed by family members, partners or ex-partners, according to the European Data Journalism Network.
“Violence against women is a phenomenon that is more or less present in all countries, caused by structural causes such as the disparity between men and women, stereotypes and prejudices”, Elena Biaggioni, vice-president of DiRe, the national association that coordinates violence centers and women's shelters, said last June.
Speaking at a protest after a pregnant woman was allegedly stabbed to death by her partner, he added: “But of course in countries where there is a macho culture and sexism is stronger, like in Italy, this violence is justified in a different way.”
However, in the most recent case, authorities focused their attention on the context of the alleged perpetrators.
The judge investigating the most recent case, Carlo Umberto Cannella, said the suspects were likely to reoffend because they were not “accustomed to civilization.”
He decided that everyone should remain in prison while the investigation is ongoing.
“It seems clear that there is a danger of repeating the crime also in light of the fact that the horror only ended thanks to the girl's attempt to free herself,” said Cannella on Wednesday (07), deciding that the suspects should not be released on bail, according to a court spokesperson.
In a scathing article in the right-wing newspaper Il Giornale, which was founded by the family of the late former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, the editors also blamed migration for the alleged rape in Sicily.
“Why are these individuals, without any requirement for access to international protection, still in Italy and not expelled?” the editors wrote.
“Because upon arrival in our country they declared themselves minors and the law prevents the rejection of irregular immigrants who have not yet reached the age of majority. Now they are going to trial for rape, but in the meantime, this girl will always carry with her the pain and trauma of the rape, suffered at just 13 years old. This is not the first case in which minors from outside the EU have been housed in Italian facilities and then become involved in criminal activities.”
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
