Italy: Giorgia Meloni shares video of Guinean migrant raping an Ukrainian woman
In the Italian election campaign, a rape video shared by right-wing populist Giorgia Meloni caused outrage. The shocking video, published by the newspaper Il Messaggero, allegedly shows a 27-year-old Guinean asylum seeker raping a 55-year-old Ukrainian woman. The head of the Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy/FdI) misused the terrible incident for her political ideologies by sharing the video on social media, criticized the social democratic Partito Democratico (PD), among others.
According to Italian media, the Ukrainian was allegedly raped by the man on a sidewalk in the city of Piacenza early on Sunday, local authorities said. The incident was filmed by someone in an apartment overlooking the street. The witness alerted the police, who overpowered the man near the crime scene and arrested him.
Meloni defends herself: The victim cannot be identified
Far-right party leader Meloni, who is leading the race for Italy's prime minister, tweeted the video, which was previously published on Il Messaggero's website. The picture was blurry, but the woman's screams could be heard clearly. "One cannot remain silent in the face of this heinous episode of sexual violence against a Ukrainian woman perpetrated during the day in Piacenza by an asylum seeker," Meloni wrote.
Meloni accused of making xenophobic propaganda in the election campaign
On Monday, other Italian politicians accused Meloni of disgraceful campaigning. The Social Democratic party leader, Enrico Letta, accused Meloni of misusing "dramatic news" for xenophobic propaganda during the election campaign. "Respect for people must come first," Letta said. Other leading centre-left politicians have also criticized Meloni for sharing the video.
The right-wing nationalist politician rejected the allegations: "The victim cannot be seen in the video, and the recording was taken from the website of a major national newspaper." She received support from the head of the anti-foreigner Lega, Matteo Salvini. The newspaper has since deleted the video.
Source: Berliner Zeitung
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