An online forum has published photos of political leaders from all Italian parties, causing outrage and numerous reactions in Italy's political scene.
The first denunciation came from Valeria Campagna , undersecretary of the Democratic Party in Lazio, who declared: " There are those who minimize it, but harassment is not a compliment ."
Meloni and Schlein among the exhibits
Among the names included in the so-called "VIP section" of the Phica.eu portal , the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, her sister Arianna, and the secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein , also appear .
The forum, created in 2005, with over 200,000 members, contains thousands of images stolen from social networks of ordinary women and public figures, often retouched and accompanied by offensive and vulgar phrases.
Although asked, Prime Minister Meloni chose not to comment, leaving open the possibility of a reaction in the coming days.
Other policies involved
The forum's extensive list also includes politicians Mara Carfagna and Mariastella Gelmini (Noi Moderati), Maria Elena Boschi (Italia Viva), Chiara Appendino (M5S), as well as the Minister of Education, Anna Maria Bernini, and the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanché.
This scandal comes after another similar case, the Facebook group " My Wife ", where stolen images of women were shared by their partners, creating a "digital archive".
Campagna: "My privacy was violated and I was offended"
The head of the PD group in the Latina municipal council, Campagna , revealed that her photos had been published without her consent: " Not only images in a swimsuit, but also moments from my public and private life. My privacy was violated and accompanied by insulting comments such as: 'I would like to see your legs, but your breasts look great' or 'How sexy you look in this tight dress' ."
"Today I feel disgusted, angry, disappointed. But I cannot remain silent, because this story is not just about me, but about our right to be free and respected," Campagna said angrily.
Investigation by the postal police
The Italian postal police have opened an investigation into the Phica.eu portal. Campagna said they had discovered an entire section dedicated to her in the " women in politics" section, noting that many of the commenters appeared to be people from her hometown who felt free to talk about her body as if it were "their property ."
Other denunciations from politics
Following this, MEP Alessandra Moretti denounced the forum after discovering that her photos from television programs had been stolen and modified for years.
MP Lia Quartapelle reported the same thing, while former MP Alessia Morani warned that she is ready to take legal action, calling the publication of photos without consent an attack on the dignity of women.