Italy’s Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara has caused outrage across the country after suggesting that a rise in sexual violence is linked to illegal immigration.
Valditara made the controversial remarks in a video message during the launch of a foundation in honor of Giulia Cecchettin, a 22-year-old woman who was murdered by her Italian ex-boyfriend last year. His comments, which were made just days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, have sparked strong criticism.
In the video, Valditara said, “We must not overlook the fact that the rise in incidents of sexual violence is somehow linked to forms of marginalization and perversion stemming from illegal immigration.”
The statement quickly drew backlash, including from the Cecchettin family. Giulia’s sister, Elena, praised her father for founding the organization in Giulia’s name but condemned Valditara’s remarks. In an Instagram post, she said, “My father has done something extraordinary to prevent violence. What is the government doing? Giulia was killed by a respectable, white Italian man.”
Giulia’s killer, Filippo Turetta, has pleaded guilty to her murder, with his trial nearing its conclusion. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3 and is seeking to avoid a life sentence.
Several Italian politicians have also criticized Valditara’s comments. Riccardo Magi, leader of the More Europe Party, pointed out that official data contradicts Valditara’s claims. He referred to Interior Ministry statistics showing that more than 80% of femicides in Italy are committed by Italian citizens. “Valditara should be ashamed. What he has done is nothing short of shameless racism, and he made these comments during the launch of a foundation dedicated to Giulia Cecchettin,” Magi said on X.
Although sexual violence is often a component of gender-based violence, official statistics show that the majority of femicides in Italy are committed by Italians. According to Italy’s national statistics agency, Istat, there were 334 murders in Italy in 2023, a 3.7% increase from the previous year. Of the victims, 117 were women, and 217 were men. The increase in murders was largely driven by a rise in male victims.
The data also reveals that around 94.3% of Italian women killed in 2023 were murdered by Italian citizens. For foreign women, 43.8% were killed by someone of the same nationality. In total, 63 women were killed by a partner or ex-partner that year.
Istat figures also indicate that most cases of rape are committed by people known to the victim. In 62.7% of cases, the perpetrator was a partner, while 9.4% of victims were attacked by a friend, and 3.6% by a relative. By contrast, sexual harassment is often committed by strangers.
Research also suggests that differences in reporting may contribute to the perception that immigration is linked to sexual violence. Only 4.4% of Italian women who were raped by an Italian man filed a complaint, compared to 24.7% of women who were assaulted by a foreigner.
Data from the Interior Ministry show that while gender-based violence has remained relatively stable over time, there has been a slight upward trend in certain types of violence. Harassment cases increased from 18,724 in 2021 to 19,538 in 2023, while instances of mistreatment against family members rose from 23,728 in 2021 to 25,260 in 2023. Sexual violence incidents also saw a slight increase over this period, from 5,274 in 2021 to 6,230 in 2023.
Comparing the first half of 2023 with the same period in 2024, the ministry observed a slight increase in cases of mistreatment, but a moderate decrease in sexual violence and harassment.
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