OPINIONI
fingono di pentirsi’. British newspapers, in the wake of ever more allegations coming to light (not just regarding Harvey Weinstein, but now members of Parliament), have not been much better. Peter Hitchens, for the Mail Online, posed the question (and answer): ‘What will women gain from all this squawking about sex pests? A niqab.’ The Telegraph published a piece by Charles Moore with the headline: ‘This scandal shows that women are now on top. I pray they share power with men, not crush us.’ Clickbait these articles may be, but that doesn’t negate the fact that attitudes like these are one of the many reasons that victims hesitate to come forward following sexual assault or harassment.
Articles like these are not the majority however, and many publications in Italy, the UK and America have come forward in supporting Argento and other victims, criticising reactions such as these. Guia Soncini, an Italian journalist and writer, denounced the ‘Failure of Italian Feminism,’ in a piece she wrote for The New York Times, condemning the reaction of the public (particularly women) on twitter, not solely that of the press. She questions where this hatred comes from, taking it back to Italian history, the Mafia, and the Catholic Church. In Britain, The Guardian published an article by Jessica Valentini suggesting that ‘abusive men aren’t rising to the top in spite of their disdain for women, but because of it.’ Columnists in both countries have been fighting back, responding to articles that do seem to exhibit a disdain for women, searching for the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ at the heart of these alleged acts.
If there is one positive to this ever-expanding scandal, it is that a public dialogue has been opened, creating a space for both men and women to open up about sexual harassment, whether recent or in the past. The sad truth is that a hateful response, from both the press and the general public online, is inevitable in whatever country you are in, making those denouncing such harassment even more courageous. Victims of sexual harassment and assault read these ‘victim blaming’ articles, they see the comments that put them down and deny their experiences. What journalists in the UK, Italy, and beyond can do, is to keep reacting in a way that those affected can feel safe to come forward, and those guilty can be weeded out.
Source: cineplex.com