Fiorenza Sarzanini (photo by Carlo Furgeri Gilbert).
TOIt happens more and more often, always with the same promise: urgent approval of new rules to stop feminicides. It also happened in mid-August, this time the promise signed by all parties – incredibly aligned and compact – was to approve the provision within two months to introduce «fundamental changes to make the prevention of this type of crime effective».
The emotion for the murder of two women who had asked for help against their tormentor without anyone intervening in a valid way, it has unleashed the competition among politicians to demonstrate that they are ready to intervene with adequate reforms. Four in particular.
The first: limit the period within which the public prosecutor must decide on the precautionary measures to 30 days against the alleged aggressor. The second: make it almost automatic the use of the electronic bracelet for those arrested for prosecuting acts. The third: bring the distance that the stalker must always keep to 500 meters from all places frequented by the victim. The fourth: predict arrest deferred in flagrante delicto for those who commit persecution and other similar crimes.
These are certainly useful regulatory innovations, but it is good to be clear that however, they will not be enough to stop the massacre. Effective rules are already in place. Something can be improved, but much more needs to be done and it doesn’t concern changes to existing laws.
Until funds are allocated to protect threatened women and their childrena capillary network of anti-violence centers will not be created in cities and towns, educational activity in schools will not be strengthened, suspects will not be forced to follow psychological support courses, no new legislation will be useful.
Until violence against women becomes a priority to be tackled with a structured prevention and repression system and will instead be treated as an emergency to be exploited for political ends, there will be no really serious way to protect the victims. Only useless promises will remain.
And the list of women who have not been understood, helped, welcomed and thus saved will inexorably continue to lengthen.
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All articles by Fiorenza Sarzanini
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