Giulia Bongiorno: «If a man harasses, prohibitions are not enough. Only jail will do. Packing bags to defend oneself is a surrender of the State»

Giulia Bongiorno, a lawyer and senator, asserts that Italy's "Codice Rosso" law, designed to prioritize cases of violence against women, is life-saving but frequently undermined by poor implementation. She highlights issues such as delays in processing reports, underestimation of threats, and the application of lenient measures, which can leave women unprotected.

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It is a life-saving law, but it is not always applied well.

"It is a life-saving law, but it is not always applied well," Bongiorno stated. She drew a parallel to hospital emergency codes, explaining that a domestic violence report, like a heart attack, requires immediate attention. The law mandates that victims be heard within three days and protective measures assessed promptly. "If the person arriving by ambulance is not treated well and immediately, it is not the ambulance's fault," she argued, implying the issue lies in the execution, not the law itself.

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If the person arriving by ambulance is not treated well and immediately, it is not the ambulance's fault.

Bongiorno pointed to specific failures, noting that threats, control tactics, blackmail, and psychological abuse are often dismissed as isolated incidents rather than part of a pattern of escalating violence. She stressed that law enforcement and judicial officials must immediately hear victims and take all reported behaviors seriously. "If a man makes serious threats or harasses, he certainly will not stop at a warning or a restraining order. Jail is needed, unfortunately, I see no alternative," she declared.

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If a man makes serious threats or harasses, he certainly will not stop at a warning or a restraining order. Jail is needed, unfortunately, I see no alternative.

Addressing the suggestion that women should pack their bags and disappear if threatened, Bongiorno called it a "surrender of the state." She firmly believes the state's responsibility is to protect its citizens, not to force victims to flee. "The state cannot accept that a victim leaves. It is the violent person who must leave," she insisted. Bongiorno concluded that the focus should be on rigorously enforcing existing laws and improving training for law enforcement and judiciary personnel, rather than introducing new legislation.

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This would be the surrender of the State. The State cannot accept that a victim leaves. It is the violent person who must leave.