Italy’s PM Meloni’s partner says that women could avoid sexual assaults if they do not get too drunk

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s partner, journalist Andrea Giambruno, has suggested that women could reduce their risk of sexual assault by avoiding excessive alcohol consumption. This statement has prompted opposition parties in the country to request clarification and distancing from Giambruno’s remarks.

During a show on the Rete 4 channel, Giambruno stated, “If you go dancing you are fully entitled to get drunk but if you avoid getting drunk and losing consciousness, perhaps you’d also avoid getting into trouble, because then you’ll find the wolf.” He made these comments in the context of discussing a recent high-profile gang rape case near Naples and Palermo.

Giambruno, who is the father of a seven-year-old with Prime Minister Meloni, did not challenge editor Pietro Senaldi of the Libero newspaper when Senaldi reportedly made a similar remark: “If you want to avoid rape, above all don’t lose consciousness, keep your wits about you.”

Although both Giambruno and Senaldi condemned the alleged rapists and referred to them as ‘wolves,’ they faced criticism, both online and offline, for seemingly placing blame on the survivor of the assault.

Cecilia D’Elia, a senator from the opposition Democratic Party (PD) and vice-president of the commission of inquiry into femicide, expressed her dissatisfaction, stating, “They just can’t help but blame women. Don’t go out alone, don’t go where it’s dark, don’t dress provocatively. All this is no longer acceptable.” She further called on Meloni to distance herself from her partner’s statements.

The opposition Five Star Movement party (M5S) issued an official statement, calling Giambruno’s words “unacceptable and shameful” and indicative of a regressive and male-dominated mindset.

In response to the backlash, Giambruno defended his position, saying, “If I had said something wrong, I would have apologized, but that’s not the case and there will never be a day when a politician tells me what to say.” He clarified that he was condemning rape as an abhorrent act and that his intention was to advise young people to be cautious, emphasizing that he did not suggest that men are entitled to assault intoxicated women.