From 473 in 2013 to 1,119 in 2019: in seven years, "hate crimes" - offenses, discrimination and violence related to being a woman, sexual orientation, nationality, the presence of physical defects - are more which doubled. In 2021 so far at the national level there are 84 femicides, persecutory acts and ill-treatment are countless. The situation is serious "and has worsened in recent years", yet "compared to the large mass of crimes it does not seem dramatic because it is difficult for the victim to file a complaint: he just suffers. Instead it is. There is a huge flood of "psychological violence, revenge porn, stalking, injuries".

Cristina Ornano, 57, judge of preliminary investigations in Cagliari, president of AreaDg (one of the currents of the judiciary), lists data and problems of a "worrying" phenomenon which, in addition to "damaging the dignity of people and democracy itself", it should "provoke a common and shared reaction" because "it takes away everyone's freedom". It will be discussed tomorrow morning, in the main hall of the courthouse of the capital, in the third national congress of AreaDg which, until Sunday, will also touch on topics such as the Palamara case and the referendum on justice. The decision to begin the conference by talking about hate crimes is due precisely to "the realization" that those crimes "are on the rise. People, discriminated only for their true or presumed belonging to certain categories, are attacked in their social dimension. It indicates a degradation of values and a social drift. We want to study the phenomenon and explain it with leading experts in the field ».

Your observatory is privileged: why are these crimes increasing in number?

"Society has changed, also for Covid, the effects of which have not yet been fully understood, and it is less and less supportive. Globalization, digitization and the spread of computer networks have made it possible to communicate without filters and to receive an enormous amount of information compared to the past even to those who are not fully aware of the importance of words and their possible consequences. Insults and offenses often result in physical violence. Nazism built a large part of hatred through communication, assigning horrendous characteristics to a certain category of people to whom it could convey unease and fear because it was identified as the "enemy". It is the same logic used against witches in the past: today, however, communication has much more developed forms and sometimes there are those who exploit those feelings to obtain social and political consensus. Those who are perceived as different are criminalized, a perverse mechanism. Society is less and less supportive, the sense of greater insecurity and anger and fear are vented on the different. Yesterday it was the Jews, today it is immigrants, LGBTs, homosexuals, women ».

Women are the main target of male violence. Because?

“Roles change, society is different, relationships are different. Violence is the simplest and most immediate answer. It is a dramatic phenomenon that is difficult to understand. Hatred of women is frightening: many persecutory acts, domestic violence and injuries. Their faces erased from the posters in Afghanistan in recent weeks are images that make one shiver ”.

Recently the journalist Barbara Palombelli, speaking of femicides, wondered if the killers were "completely out of their minds" or if behind what happened there was "an exasperating and aggressive behavior" of the women killed. Do you think he was wrong to introduce this topic?

«The statement is very serious and completely gratuitous, it does not reflect even a part of the truth. Those who communicate should be an educational vehicle. The root of the violence is not the alleged provocative behavior and in any case any justification is unacceptable because the result is: if you are a victim, you are looking for it. A stereotype. The victim must be placed at the center ».

Does the growth of these behaviors mean that the Red Code, a law introduced in 2019 to protect women and vulnerable people who suffer violence, was not as effective as hoped?

“Punitive action is fundamental, because it tends to prevent crimes and strengthen the tools that protect the victim. But domestic violence has distant roots that are difficult to eradicate. Women have always been relegated to a secondary role and now it is not accepted that they have a prominent role. So insults and violence are the rule ».

But if even the new laws do not eliminate the problem, what can be done?

«Forms of combating violence have only been introduced for about ten years, stalking dates back to 2009. To have results you need prevention, protection and punishment. Before, the punishment was mild and the perception non-existent. Punitive intervention is necessary but lacking, we need rules that encourage recovery paths for violent men. Expressions of hatred and hatred in themselves cannot be justified. Politics and the judiciary, but also the world of culture and communication with their fundamental role, must contribute to educate society and create a common and shared sensitivity on hate crimes, because they take away freedom from everyone. Democracy must ensure the safety and dignity of the person ”.

Andrea Manunza

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THE CONFERENCE

Three days to talk about hate crimes and justice with magistrates, lawyers, university professors, sociologists, politicians and journalists. It is the initiative organized in Cagliari by "Democratic area for justice", a current of the judiciary chaired by judge Cristina Ornano, scheduled from tomorrow to Sunday in the main hall of the Palace of Justice in Piazza Repubblica and at the Doglio theater in via Logudoro, where access is allowed to those with the green pass and in compliance with health rules.

Streaming on unionesarda.it from 9 to 13 and from 15 to 19 on Friday and Saturday

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