Giorgia Meloni, the far-right politician leading the race for Italy’s next prime minister, has been accused by her rivals of shameful campaigning after she released a video showing a Ukrainian woman being raped by a Guinean asylum seeker in an Italian town.
The 55-year-old woman was attacked on a sidewalk in the city of Piacenza early Sunday, local officials said. The incident was filmed by someone in an apartment overlooking the street and the attacker was arrested.
Police confirmed the arrest and said the man would be arrested while the investigation continued.
Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party is leading the polls ahead of September 25 general elections, tweeted the video, which was published on a newspaper website, with the image blurry but the woman’s screams clearly audible.
“One cannot remain silent in the face of this horrific episode of sexual violence against a Ukrainian woman committed during the day in Piacenza by an asylum seeker,” Meloni wrote. “A hug for that woman. I will do everything to restore security to our cities.”
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The tweet drew a flood of criticism online, including from Meloni’s political opponents.
“It is indecent to use images of rape. Even more indecent to do this for electoral purposes,” wrote Enrico Letta, leader of the center-left Democratic Party (PD), on Twitter.
Another centrist leader, Carlo Calenda, called Meloni’s tweet “immoral”. Igiaba Scego, a well-known Italian writer of Somali descent, accused Meloni of exploiting the rape victim.
“Offered as clickbait voyeurism instead of being protected. This campaign is appalling,” she wrote.
Meloni, who has called for a naval blockade of North Africa to prevent migrant boats from setting sail, said on Facebook her rivals had used the rape to attack her while ignoring the victim to avoid what she called the immigration emergency to avoid.
Letta’s post had said “respect for people and victims always comes first” and Calenda wrote “only the victims count”.