Domestic violence, ECHR condemns Italy for ill-treatment: “Inaction by the judges, despite the gravity of the complaints”

Italy was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) for the ‘inhuman and degrading treatment’ of a woman, Silvia De Giorgi, resident in Padua, because the authorities did not act to protect her from the violent ex-husband. Between 2015 and 2019 she denounced her husband 7 times, from whom she was separated since 2013, for having threatened her with death, hit her with a helmet, put cameras in her house, persecuted, followed and harassed, for not having paid alimony and mistreating the three children. The Strasbourg judges call into question the inaction of the magistrates by establishing that Italy must pay her 10 thousand euros for moral damages.

Ignore the reports of carabinieri and health workers on the violence suffered by the woman

Although the reports of the Carabinieri and the hospital, and also the social services contain evidence of what the woman says, the Strasbourg judges point out in their sentence, the magistrates in charge of evaluating the case have not taken any initiative to respond to the complaints of the woman, and their inaction, says the Strasbourg Court, has created “a situation of impunity” for the ex-husband, who has yet to be tried for a violent act committed on November 20, 2015, while investigations into complaints dating back to 2016.

“We need serious reflection on male violence”

“We are fully satisfied with the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in which all the violations they had denounced were recognized”. The lawyer says so Marcello Stellin who represented Silvia De Giorgi at the Strasbourg Court. “The condemnation of Italy for failing to protect a woman from a violent ex-husband, denounced 7 times, should call everyone to a serious reflection on male violence against women. We are witnessing, not from today, a real and own massacre of women, too often announced deaths, preceded by serious mistreatment, femicides that could be prevented. women who suffer violence. But there is still a great need to change the culture of the country, in particular that of those who have to apply those rules “. To declare it is Cecilia d’Eliadeputy of the pd and national spokesperson for the conference of democratic women.

Magistrates must be made aware and trained on the issue of violence in the family

“Another ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that condemns Italy for the ‘inhuman and degrading treatment’ of a woman. Once again the magistrates prove to be inadequate in dealing with situations of domestic violence “. Antonella Veltri, President DiRe – Women on the Net against violence. “After the sentence of 7 April Landi against Italy and the Talpis case against Italy, again the Italian State – he adds – is condemned for the inaction of the magistrates who – despite the reports of the Carabinieri, the hospital and the social services – have not taken any measures against the ex-husband, thus creating a situation of impunity “. According to Veltri, this is an “exemplary sentence which, unfortunately, confirms our position. It is no longer possible to have women judge situations of male violence to those who do not even recognize it. We have been repeating it for too long that the way forward – he concludes – is training of magistrates. We can no longer wait “.