Photos of Giorgia Meloni, her sister Arianna, opposition leader Elly Schlein and many other women were posted without consent on the Italian pornographic platform Phica. The site had over 700,000 subscribers before managers closed it, blaming users for incorrect use. Images were taken from personal social media or public sources, accompanied by vulgar sexist captions, and were doctored to zoom in on body parts or depict women in sexual poses. Dozens of women have filed complaints and police opened an investigation after official complaints from centre-left Democratic party politicians. Meloni called the posts disgusting, expressed solidarity with the victims, and demanded that those responsible be identified and firmly punished.
Images of Meloni's sister, Arianna, and the opposition leader, Elly Schlein, were also discovered on the Italian platform Phica, which had more than 700,000 subscribers before its managers closed the site on Thursday, blaming users for using the platform incorrectly. The photos, accompanied by vulgar and sexist captions, were taken from either personal social media accounts or public sources without consent and altered to zoom in on body parts or depict the women in sexual poses.
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 added: It is disheartening to note that in 2025, there are still those who consider it normal and legitimate to trample on a woman's dignity and target her with sexist and vulgar insults, hiding behind anonymity or a keyboard.
Last week Meta closed down an Italian Facebook account called Mia Moglie (My wife) on which men exchanged intimate photos of their wives or unknown women. Phica, which is a misspelt play on a slang word for vagina in Italian, was launched in 2005 and appears to have operated unhindered despite women reporting the platform. Police began an investigation after receiving official complaints from several politicians in the centre-left Democratic party (PD).
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