Salo has caused in Italy by one with altered photos of many branded Italians, including the Prime Minister and opposition leader Eli Slain.
The photos, accompanied by sexist and vulgar comments, were collected from personal accounts on social networks or from public sources, before being altered and published on the Italian PHICA platform, which has over 700,000 subscribers.
Pictures of women from all parties had been drawn to rallies, television interviews or a swimsuit vacation. They were processed to focus on body parts or imply sexual postures, and posted on the “VIP unity” of the site. “Phica”, which is a variant of an Italian vulgar word for the female genitalia, was founded in 2005 and appears to have worked undisturbed until Democratic Party politicians (PD) filed reports. Police are investigating the case.
The scandal, which rejuvenates the debate in Italy about misogyny and it, broke out a week after closing the meta of an Italian Facebook page called “Mia Moglie”, where men exchanged personal photos of their wives or women. Melon, whose sister Ariana was targeted on the site, has not yet made a comment, according to Corriere della Sera.
Other branded women whose photos were used were actress and director Paola Cortelesi, creator of the successful film C’è Ancora Domani (“still exists tomorrow”) on domestic violence, as well as Influencer Kiara Ferrani.
To target women politicians
PD politician, Valeria Campaign, was one of the first to submit an official complaint, encouraging other women to follow, in a case that the Italian press describes as “the Italian #metoo”. Online resolution on the closure of the site has gathered over 150,000 signatures.
In a post on Facebook, the campaign said she felt “disgust, anger and frustration” and that “she could not remain silent” when she discovered that her photos had been posted without consensus:
“Not only swimsuit photos but moments from my personal and public life,” he wrote. “Underneath them there were sexist, vulgar and violent comments. I can’t get rid of it, because this story is not just about me. It concerns us all. Our right to be free, respected and to live without fear. “
Soon other PD politicians, such as Alessia Morani, Alessandra Moretti and Lia Kuartapele, followed.
Morani wrote on Instagram that the comments under her photos were “unacceptable and shameless” and “insult my dignity”. He stressed: “Unfortunately, I’m not alone. We must denounce these groups of men who act impunity despite repeated complaints. These sites must be closed and banned. So here! “
Kuartapele added: “Like many other women, I have been a victim of online abuse through an unauthorized suspension in a pornographic forum. I decided to resist, depositing a complaint. Not only for me but, above all, for all the women who have been victims of this violence. “
On the right side of the political spectrum were targeted by Alessandra Mussolini, granddaughter of dictator Benito Mussolini and a member of the far -right Lega, as well as Tourism Minister Daniela Santankes.
Mary Galati, a Palermo woman who started the resolution at Change.org, had twice filed a complaint after finding in 2023 that a photo had been posted on the site, but the case did not go until politicians spoke.
The resolution cites a study by the University of Milan (2019), which showed that 20% of Italians have experienced some form of non -consensual leakage of personal photos.
In July, the Italian Senate approved a bill that for the first time introduces a legal definition of “female” in criminal law, punishing it with life imprisonment, while increasing crimes for crimes such as pursuing, sexual violence and “revenge porn”.
In response to the Phica scandal, Senate President Iniatsio La Roussa condemned “online sexism against many women”. He said: “This is a very serious issue, which is causing deep indignation, and for which I hope that the competent authorities will soon identify those responsible.”
