Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Why Italy can't forgive the priest who says women provoke abuse...

At the end of December, a priest in a village in northern Italy pinned a notice to his church. Outrage and protests followed across the country. Women, suggested Father Piero Corsi, increasingly share the blame for domestic and sexual violence. They exacerbate household tensions with "children left to themselves, dirty houses, cold dishes, fast food and filthy clothes". While he wrote that violence can never be excused, he linked it to the way women dress: "They provoke the worst instincts, which end in violence or sexual abuse. They should search their consciences and ask: did we bring this on ourselves?"

His ideas were condemned by everyone from the local mayor to the Vatican. The regional bishop advised the priest to take a rest from his duties. Corsi seemed genuinely taken aback by the strength of the reaction against him. And although some women's rights groups urged him to resign, he merely issued a public apology before returning to work at his church in San Terenzo di Lerici, near La Spezia, in January, saying he had not meant to cause offence.

Unsurprisingly, activists argue that this is not enough. At a meeting held in the town hall in January, journalist Riccardo Iacona, author of the book Se Questi Sono Gli Uomini (If These Are The Men), said: "The return of Fr Corsi forces us to face reality. His words are unacceptable, but in fact reflect a common feeling in Italy … It highlights the backwardness of our culture." Full story...

Related posts:
  1. A rape a minute, a thousand corpses a year...
  2. Italian firm sacks women "so they can stay home and look after the children."
  3. Eight women in Italy pay the ultimate price for breaking off with their partners...
  4. Panchayat leader in India blames chowmein for rapes! WTF!
  5. In India, it's the woman's fault if she gets raped...
  6. US judge blames grope victim for being assaulted...

No comments:

Post a Comment