A growing scandal over altered and stolen images of prominent Italian women has ignited a long-overdue “#MeToo movement” nationwide.
The controversy centres on “Phica”, a pornographic website that featured manipulated images of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, opposition leader Elly Schlein and actor Paola Cortellesi, among others.
Images, taken from public gatherings and social media platforms, were shared with offensive captions to over 700,000 members on the website.
Even though Phica is now closed, it operated with no oversight for almost two decades.
Another organisation, “Mia Moglie” (meaning “My Wife”), was also denounced by the victims.
It was a Facebook page where men posted private images of their spouses or other women without permission.
After increasing public outcry, Meta shut down the organisation in August.
Thousands demand change
The cases have drawn parallels to the #MeToo movement in the United States, where activists, politicians and ordinary women have signed petitions and filed complaints against perpetrators.
A Change.org campaign demanding a ban on such websites has already garnered over 150,000 signatures in Italy.
Valeria Campagna, a Democratic Party member, whose photos were altered inappropriately on such sites, has expressed strong support for the movement.
Campagna was among the first individuals to file an official complaint, leading others to follow suit and sparking what Italian media dubbed “Italy’s #MeToo movement”.
“I can’t stay silent because this story isn’t just about me. It’s all about all of us.”
“It’s about our right to be free, respected and to live without fear,” Campagna wrote on a Facebook post.
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Restrictions render victims silent
Despite the outrage, experts warn that legal and cultural restrictions still silence many victims.
Italian family lawyer Annamaria Bernardini de Pace said that many women are still afraid to file accusations.
“Women tell me they won’t report it, because they’re afraid,” Bernardini de Pace told AFP in an interview.
“They’re afraid of their husbands.”
“They’re afraid of their children having a father who has been reported. They’re afraid of being criticised by people they know,” she said.
The uproar comes amidst Italy’s move to toughen measures against gender-based crimes, including a law against “revenge porn” in 2019 and a Senate bill imposing harsher sentences for femicide cases in 2024.
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Shameeka Voyiya 
Newsjustnews writers 
Ren Azrack Escosio