Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her intense outrage after discovering that doctored photos of herself and other women were published on a pornographic website. “I am disgusted by what happened,” she told Corriere della Sera, emphasizing that the perpetrators must be identified and punished “with maximum severity.”
On the same platform, called Phica, photos were found of Meloni’s sister Arianna, as well as opposition leader Elly Schlein. The website, which had more than 700,000 subscribers, shut down on Thursday, with administrators blaming users for “misuse” of the platform.
Giorgia Meloni: The publication of images that outraged her
The images were accompanied by abusive and sexist comments and had been taken from personal social media accounts or public sources without permission. In many cases they had been modified to show the women in sexual poses or with focus on specific body parts. Dozens of women filed formal complaints against Phica and similar websites following the case’s publication this week.
“I want to express my solidarity and support to all women who have been insulted, humiliated and violated,” Meloni stated. She added that “it is disappointing to realize that in 2025 there are still people who consider it normal and legitimate to trample on a woman’s dignity, hiding behind anonymity or a keyboard.”
Meloni emphasized that responsibility is clear: “Content that is considered innocent can, in the wrong hands, become a terrible weapon. And we all need to know this.”
