Italy’s Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara is under fire after attributing violence against women to illegal immigration during a parliamentary session on Monday. Critics, including victims’ advocates and political leaders, have accused the far-right minister of using baseless claims for racist propaganda, contradicting official statistics that show most perpetrators are Italian men.
Valditara, a member of Matteo Salvini’s League party, declared in parliament that “male domination no longer exists” and linked rising sexual violence to “marginality and deviance related to illegal immigration.” His remarks came during the presentation of a charity named after Giulia Cecchettin, a young Italian woman murdered in 2023 by her Italian boyfriend.
The comments sparked outrage, including a pointed rebuttal from Cecchettin’s sister, Elena, who attended the session. “If people listened — instead of spouting propaganda during the presentation of a foundation named after a young woman killed by a young, white, seemingly perfect Italian — then there wouldn’t be around 100 femicides in Italy every year,” she said.
The murder of 22-year-old Cecchettin by her then-boyfriend, Filippo Turetta, shocked the nation and spurred widespread protests against gender-based violence. Turetta, also 22, is set to be sentenced in December.
Riccardo Magi, leader of the centrist Europa party, criticized Valditara’s claims, calling them “contradicted by all the statistics.” He accused the minister of exploiting the tragedy for racist purposes.
Data from Italy’s interior ministry and national statistics office starkly contradict Valditara’s assertions. In 2022, 94% of femicide perpetrators were Italian men, with 106 femicides recorded that year, followed by 96 in 2023 and 83 so far in 2024.
Valditara also downplayed systemic issues related to male dominance, claiming that the problem “legally no longer exists in Italy” following family law reforms in 1975. His remarks were met with criticism from advocates who argue that legal changes alone do not eliminate deeply rooted societal issues contributing to gender-based violence.
The Cecchettin case remains emblematic of the broader crisis. Protests following her murder highlighted Italy’s ongoing struggle with femicide, with demonstrators demanding stronger protections for women and greater accountability for perpetrators.
The controversy over Valditara’s statements has reignited debates over the role of far-right rhetoric in shaping public discourse on gender and immigration, with critics warning that such narratives risk undermining efforts to address Italy’s persistent issues with violence against women.
