From the Sorrento coast to the Nolano mountains, the province of Naples is hostage to a widespread plague: gender violence. Women of all ages and social backgrounds are victims of abuse and stalking, relegating them to a domestic prison.
The Carabinieri data are alarming: almost a thousand reports and arrests for domestic violence and stalking in just a few months. On average, four women a day in Naples and its province suffer violence, a figure that reveals a disturbing reality.
Broken Life Stories The last episode in Poggioreale.
A few days ago, a 37-year-old woman went to the local police station. She reported her husband, the father of her 3 minor children. The woman overcame her fear by recounting countless episodes of violence and harassment. Thus the “red code” was issued, but the man did not give up.
The Carabinieri monitored the situation to protect the victim, and when they were near the woman's apartment during their "vigilance" duty, they heard screams coming from inside. The officers responded and found the 39-year-old man inside.
He is aggressive and screams even in the presence of the police who catch him while he is grabbing his crying wife in the same room where there are crying children. The 39-year-old does not give up, destroys the door of a kitchen cabinet and screams "I have to ruin you, I will destroy you and the house! I will kill you, I will run you over with the car!!".
Meanwhile, other carabinieri also arrive and secure the woman and children.
The man was arrested with no small difficulty and transferred directly to prison where he would have to answer to the judicial authorities for mistreatment in the family.
This is just the latest case of gender violence that the Carabinieri have had to deal with. Sometimes you could just change the names and leave the story as it is. The military knows this well and that is why they always deal with each case, in synergy with the respective prosecutors, as if it were the only one in the world.
Continuous training courses, experience, practice and empathy put at the service of those who are weaker. 964 arrests and reports. An alarming figure but which also highlights the great trust placed by citizens in the Institutions.
The Carabinieri have long put the defense of the weak in first place and work in synergy with the Public Prosecutor's Office and with various public and private institutions. Just think of the four environments dedicated to listening to victims of gender violence, the "Rooms of One's Own".
Four locations—created thanks to the collaboration of the Soroptimist International Club of Naples—in four strategic locations in the province: Capodimonte, Caivano, Ercolano, and Stella. Rooms reserved for listening and reporting, furnished with more welcoming and warm furnishings, distinct from the offices generally used for collecting complaints.
Important initiatives such as those adopted by the Carabinieri, with the establishment, at a national level since 2009, of a “Stalking Acts” Section within the Scientific Investigations Group. Officers and Marshals increasingly specialized and capable of understanding in the most intimate sense of the term the requests for help from people in need.
The General Command has also created a poster for people in difficulty, who are still undecided about dealing with the family plague or are simply afraid.
A “Violence Meter” made up of two columns that allow the victim to evaluate their situation. On one side of the possibilities where at least one exists it leads to a concrete hypothesis: “YOU ARE A VICTIM OF GENDER VIOLENCE”, on the other side of the poster advice on how to act. A pdf with a QR code that allows the connection to a thematic area of the site www.carabinieri.it where it is possible to correctly and comprehensively address the tragic crime that one is suffering.
The latest weapon to fight gender violence is represented by the Mobile Angel. One smart watch connected to the mobile phone on which a dedicated app, Bright Sky, is installed, capable of activating a request for intervention at the Carabinieri.
The experiment, started in 2022, has allowed for a greater perception of safety on the part of the victims and a deterrent function of the emergency apparatus towards the aggressors.
The Vodafone Bright Sky mobile app provides resources, support and practical tools to women experiencing domestic violence and abuse.
The App can be downloaded for free and can also be used by relatives, friends, co-workers, associations and all those who are close to abused women. Bright Sky provides information on the different types of violence and allows women to gain greater awareness on how to manage their situation.
At the same time, the App provides a mapping of support services dealing with abuse, both at local and national level.
* 267 arrests in flagrante and 697 reports at large
A problem that concerns us all
Gender violence is not a private matter, but a crime that affects our society. Each of us has a fundamental role:
Report: Don't ignore signs of violence.
To support: Offer concrete support to victims.
Report: Break the wall of silence and bring these atrocities to light.
Breaking out of isolation
If you're experiencing violence, remember that you're not alone. There are numerous anti-violence centers and support services ready to welcome you and offer you the help you need.
Leave a comment