Scourge of Italy?

Scourge of Italy?

Violence against women is nothing new. In Italy, more than 80 women have been killed this year, mostly by their current or former lovers. A recent United Nations report called domestic abuse the “most pervasive form of violence” in the country.

Now, Italy is looking to stiffen legal penalties on perpetrators of domestic abuse. Yet victims’ advocates say greater resources for women who leave abusive relationships—a frequent trigger for violence—are what’s truly needed. Says one shelter manager in Rome, “Many shelters and anti-violence centers around Italy are closing because of lack of funding.” 

—Diane Richard, writer, August 21

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Photo: Nadia Shira Cohen for the International Herald Tribune

Source: ELISABETTA POVOLEDO, “A Call for Aid, Not Laws, to Help Women in Italy,” 

New York Times, August 18, 2013