Rome
CNN
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Italy is reeling from 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 assaults in the country. became.
The incident is reminiscent of two alleged gang rapes last summer. Seven men, aged between 15 and 18, are currently on trial for raping a 19-year-old girl in Palermo in August.
Weeks later, nine young men were arrested and charged with raping two cousins, aged 10 and 12, near Naples and broadcasting the incident live on social media. They too are facing trial.
Last month’s alleged gang rape in Catania has not only become a symbol of violence against women in the country, but also a cause for concern for Italy’s far-right government. Catania police confirmed to CNN that all seven suspected attackers were Egyptian immigrants, and three of them were under the age of 18.
CNN has reached out to the suspect’s attorney for comment. Lawyers for three of them said their clients denied any involvement in the actual assault, while the other three declined to comment because their clients are minors.
The incident was quickly seized as evidence that immigrants should be blocked from entering the country.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came to power in September 2022 on an anti-immigration platform, but her efforts to curb irregular migration to the country have so far been unsuccessful.
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A girl was allegedly raped at Villa Bellini in Catania, Sicily, Italy.
The men accused in the latest Sicily case entered Italy by boat as unaccompanied minors in 2021 and 2022, according to Catania police. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, one of Italy’s most prominent far-right figures, told the program “X” that they should not have been allowed to stay.
Meanwhile, during his visit to Catania, Meloni expressed solidarity with the alleged rape victim and her family.
“The state will be there to ensure that justice is done,” she said.
The way the case between the Italian and Egyptian suspects was handled has already attracted attention.
The men accused of raping a 19-year-old woman in Palermo have been granted a speedy trial, their lawyer told CNN. In other words, they will be detained and sealed behind closed doors.
The Egyptian suspects have been appointed lawyers but have not yet entered a plea, but prosecutors in the case have already filed additional charges related to illegal immigration, a representative for two of the suspects said. Alessandro Fidon, a court-appointed lawyer who works for the government, told CNN.
Egyptians do not have asylum status in Italy, so those who are currently over 18 and not classified as unaccompanied minors no longer have the right to remain in the country.
Italy’s interior ministry has called for a thorough investigation of all facilities housing unaccompanied minors to see if similar cases exist.
Italy has long struggled with gender-based violence.
In November, the House and Senate unanimously passed new legislation that would toughen penalties for perpetrators of gender-based violence and strengthen protections for women who fear for their lives.
The bill was inspired by the case of Julia Cecchettin, a 22-year-old woman who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. She was one of 118 murderers committed in Italy last year. According to the European Data Journalism Network, in 2022, women were the victims in 91% of murders committed by family members, partners or ex-partners.
“Violence against women is a phenomenon that exists to a greater or lesser extent in every country and is caused by structural causes such as gender inequality, stereotypes and prejudice,” said the vice president of DiRe, a national organization that coordinates anti-violence centres. , says Elena Biagioni. The women’s shelter announced this in June last year.
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Matteo Salvini claimed that the suspects, who are Egyptian immigrants, should not have been allowed to stay in Italy.
Speaking at a protest after a pregnant woman was allegedly stabbed to death by her partner, she said: “Of course, in a country like Italy with a macho culture and more sexism, this violence is different.” “It is justified in this sense,” he added.
But in this case, authorities are focusing on the background of the alleged perpetrator.
Judge Carlo Umberto Canella, who presided over the latest case, said the suspects were “uncivilized” and were likely to reoffend.
He ruled that all should remain in jail while the investigation progresses.
“Even taking into account the fact that the terror only ended because the girl tried to free herself, it is clear that there is a risk that the crime will be repeated,” Canela said on Wednesday. The court ruled that he should not be released on bail. According to a court spokesperson.
In a scathing editorial in Il Giornale, a right-wing newspaper started by the family of late former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, editors also blamed immigrants for rape allegations in Sicily.
“Why do these people remain in Italy, without any need for international protection, and are not subject to deportation?” the editors wrote.
“Because they declared themselves minors when they arrived in our country, and the law prohibits the rejection of undocumented immigrants who have not reached the age of majority. They will now be charged with rape. Until she goes to trial, she will forever carry the pain and trauma of being raped at just 13 years old. This is not the first time that a person has subsequently been involved in criminal activity.”