ROME-- In the last 48 hours four women- in Genoa, Rome, Cagliari and Salerno- have been killed by men, in spite of harsher penalties put in place recently to prevent feminicide. A fifth woman, a 43-year-old lawyer from Modena, got away with “just” a broken arm from her ex-boyfriend, who, ironically, runs self-defence courses for women.

 The murdered women come from all kinds of backgrounds. In the capital, Michela di Pompeo, a 47-year-old teacher, was killed by her bank manager partner. The night before, a 44-year-old prostitute was stabbed in the heart in Pagani, Salerno. In Sardinia, 60-year-old Maria Bonaria Contu, was stabbed to death in a car park by one of her neighbours, and in Genoa an 81-year-old was murdered, during a burglary in her home, with a crowbar.

 Gendered violence is becoming a serious problem across the peninsula, with 1,740 women being murdered in the past 10 years, and 1,251 of these happening within the family setting. Seven million Italian women have claimed to be victim of abuse during their lifetimes, with 90 per cent of this group refusing to press charges.

 The government is going to have to seriously rethink the measures currently in place, and perhaps focus more on preventative measures, such as educating boys from a young age.  

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