Italian TV presenter Andrea Giambruno has faced criticism for suggesting that young women could prevent rape by avoiding getting drunk.
Giambruno, who is the partner of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was speaking about recent reported incidents of group assaults in Italy.
In Sicily, seven men were accused of sexually assaulting a teenager. In a town near Naples called Caivano, it is said that six young people raped two cousins.
Giambruno now claims that his comments were misunderstood.
The Prime Minister, Meloni, has announced that she will go to Caivano on Thursday to support the residents after a terrible attack. Caivano has been facing problems with drug trafficking and organized crime controlled by the mafia.
The mother of one of the two girls sent a letter to Ms Meloni through her lawyer. The letter said that their family was being threatened and harassed by people in their neighborhood in the Parco Verde area of the town.
Recently, a 19-year-old lady who was attacked at an empty construction area in Palermo, Sicily shared on social media that she has moved out of her home and is now staying in a safe place for people who have experienced violence.
Her attackers recorded a video of the gang rape, and she is clearly having a difficult time dealing with the aftermath. She is saying that she is trying hard to overcome some problems in her mind, but she pretends like nothing happened and continues to smile.
Giambruno talked about gang rape on a TV channel called Rete 4. He criticized the rapists and compared them to wolves while talking to a newspaper editor.
“He said that if you go dancing, it’s okay for you to get drunk. ” If you don’t get drunk and pass out, you might not encounter certain problems because that’s when trouble can arise.
What he said made people angry.
Martina Semenzato, in charge of a government investigation about violence against women and femicide, stated that there is no excuse for sexual violence and it is never the victim’s fault.
Chiara Gribaudo, a politician who leans towards the political center-left, accused him of placing blame solely on the victims. She expressed that instead of solely instructing women on how to avoid rape, he should focus on educating men, who are the real perpetrators.
Chiara Ferragni, a popular social media influencer, expressed on Instagram that women do not have issues with wolves, but rather with men.
Giambruno said that his critics are using his words unfairly and for their own gain. “He clarified that he never stated that men have the freedom to sexually assault women who are intoxicated. He mentioned that before his statement, he emphasized that such behavior is extremely horrible and done by inhuman individuals. ”
His partner, Ms Meloni, who is also the mother of their young daughter, has chosen not to publicly comment on the outcry.
Parish priest Maurizio Patriciello walks with politicians and activists at a demonstration to support victims of sexual violence on August 29, 2023 in Caivano.
Two hundred individuals came together in Caivano to support victims of sexual violence, alongside parish priest Maurizio Patriciello.
She decided to go to Caivano after the mother of one of the girls wrote a letter saying she didn’t feel safe there and her son had been robbed since the attack. The boy was the first to tell someone about the possible mistreatment.
“Prime minister, we trust you to take charge and make the decisions. ” She said, “Please remove us from this horrible place. ”
A priest named Maurizio Patriciello, who dislikes the mafia, has spoken highly of Prime Minister Meloni’s choice to come. He plans to request that she send many primary school teachers, which he refers to as “an army”.
However, not everyone is happy about her decision to visit Caivano, where the two young cousins were attacked.
People who are very angry about the government’s decision to stop giving out a minimum income benefit have sent her scary messages saying they want her dead.
The government before the current one introduced a program called the citizens’ income scheme. The prime minister claimed that this program allowed many Italians to not worry about finding a job.
She said that being threatened would not stop her from joining Italians who want to feel safe and have a better future for their kids. She said the government will keep fighting organized crime and won’t go in the opposite direction.