'Disgusting and Dehumanizing': Italian PM Giorgia Meloni Lashes Out After Altered Images Shared On Porn Site

Rome: In a disturbing incident that has sparked outrage, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed her disgust after sexually explicit images of her and other prominent women were circulated on a pornographic website. The images, which were manipulated to sexualize the subjects, originated from photographs taken at political rallies and private holiday pictures sourced from social media. 

The platform in question, known as Phica, amassed over 700,000 subscribers before it was shut down on Thursday. The site’s operators attributed the closure to its users violating platform rules.

Prime Minister Meloni stated, ‘I am disgusted by what has happened,’ and extended her ‘solidarity and support to all the women who have been offended, insulted and violated.’ She called for the swift punishment of those responsible for creating and distributing the images. Meloni also emphasized the dangerous potential of such content, noting that material ‘considered harmless can, in the wrong hands, become a terrible weapon.’ She urged victims to take immediate action by reporting these crimes as the best form of defence.

Opposition leader Elly Schlein, who was also a target of the site, condemned the posts as a manifestation of a ‘rape culture’ that is not only ‘normalized and justified online’ but also actively ‘incited by providing specific outlets for the venting of the worst impulses.’

This is not the first time Meloni has been subjected to such violations. Last year, she initiated legal proceedings against a father and son, seeking 100,000 euros in compensation after deepfake videos that superimposed her face onto an adult film actor’s body were uploaded online.  

The Actual Reality of Porn Sites

According to reports, law enforcement agencies have confirmed receiving ‘many’ complaints about Phica and similar platforms that share explicit or altered photos without consent. Despite numerous reports being filed with police over the years, Phica had remained operational since 2005.

Reports indicate that the platform facilitated so-called ‘tributes,’ a section where men would post evidence of masturbating to photographs of other users' wives or girlfriends. Phica is not the only site of its kind to attract police attention, with several complaints being filed against similar platforms.

The profound impact on victims is illustrated by the experience of one woman, Mary Galati, who discovered her images on the site in 2023. She revealed that she had to use her father’s identification to gain access to the members-only area, as the site exclusively permitted male members. Galati described the site as ‘hell,’ detailing an environment where ‘husbands share photos of their wives and men expose their partners or relatives.’ Most horrifyingly, she reported seeing ‘fathers uploading photos of their very young daughters, four or five-year-old girls being sexualised,’ including images of their feet and bodies accompanied by ‘sexist and paedophile comments.’

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