Equal Opportunities Minister Eugenia
Roccella defended Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa on Saturday
amid criticism by opposition parties for his public defence of
his son Leonardo, who is under investigation for suspected
sexual assault, and alleged sexist comments and victim blaming
towards the young woman who reported the alleged offence.
"I do not enter into (the merit of) individual cases and the
reaction of a person who has emotional ties," said Roccella of
the leading exponent of Premier Giorgia Meloni's right-wing
Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and the holder of the second
highest office of state.
"He is the father of the eventual suspect," she added.
"What I can say is that La Russa is the one who first proposed a
men-only demonstration against violence against women, because
this is not a problem that only effects women but also men. This
already seems to me to be an answer," said the minister.
On Friday La Russa issued a statement saying he was "certain"
his youngest son Leonardo had nothing to answer for after
Corriere della Sera reported that a compliant has been filed
against the young man by a 22-year-old woman for
allegedly sexually assaulting her at his home after a night at a
Milan disco on May 18.
"I am counting on the Public Prosecutor's Office, in which I
have always placed my trust during my long professional career,
to shed light (on the matter) as quickly as possible in order to
dispel any doubt," said La Russa, also challenging "the account
of a girl who, by her own admission, had consumed cocaine before
meeting my son".
Such an account "objectively raises many doubts", he added.
In the statement La Russa also took issue with the fact that the
complaint had been filed 40 days after the alleged assault.
"Over and above his son's responsibility, which it is down to
the judiciary to clarify, it is disgusting to hear words from
the second highest office of State that once again intend to
undermine the credibility of women who report sexual violence on
grounds of how long it has taken them or whether they had
consumed alcohol or drugs, as if this were an automatic
presumption of their consent," responded centre-left opposition
Democratic Party (Pd) secretary Elly Schlein.
"The President of the Senate cannot perform secondary
victimisation," she added.
"It is precisely because of these kinds of words that so many
women do not report (sexual violence) for fear of not being
believed. It is unacceptable for those holding institutional
positions to legitimise sexist prejudice," concluded Schlein.
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