- Italian PM Giorgia Meloni condemned altered images of women on a pornographic website
- Photos of Meloni, her sister, and other women were posted without consent on Phica platform
- Phica had 700,000 subscribers before it was closed due to misuse allegations
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticised the posting of altered images of her and other women on a pornographic website and said that she was "disgusted" by it. She vowed to punish the perpetrators with "utmost firmness".
Photos of Meloni's sister, Arianna, opposition leader, Elly Schlein, influencer Chiara Ferragni and EU lawmaker Alessandra Moretti have been found on a platform called Phica. The platform had 700,000 subscribers on it before the site was closed by its managers on Thursday after users were blamed of "using the platform incorrectly".
The website's name is a play on a slang word for vagina, in Italian. Despite the platform being reported by women, it has operated freely.
The photos of the women have been altered without consent, and zoomed in on body parts. They also show the women in sexual poses, accompanied with captions that are sexist and vulgar. The doctored images of high-profile women were posted in the "VIP section".
"I am disgusted by what has happened," Meloni told Corriere della Sera on Friday. "I want to extend my solidarity and support to all the women who have been offended, insulted and violated."
She also said that it was "disheartening" for her to see that even in 2025 people exist who think it is normal to "trample on a woman's dignity" and attack her with "sexist and vulgar insults" behind the veil of anonymity or a keyboard.
Tech company Meta also shut down an Italian Facebook account called Mia Moglie which translates to "My Wife", where men shared intimate images of their wives or unknown women. The group had over 32,000 members.
Police are investigating the incident after official complaints from politicians in the centre-left Democratic party.
Valeria Campagna, a Democratic Party politician, has lodged a complaint and wrote on Facebook that she was "disgusted, angry and disappointed" and "couldn't stay silent".
"Not just photos in a swimsuit but moments from my public and private life. Beneath them there were sexist, vulgar and violent comments. I can't stay silent because this story isn't just about me. It's about all of us. It's about our right to be free, respected and to live without fear," she wrote.
