Italy PM Meloni Condemns Circulation of Altered Sexualised Photos, Demands Strict Action

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has strongly denounced the circulation of manipulated, sexualised images of women online, including herself, calling the practice “disgusting” and “dehumanising.”

Meloni Slams Such Acts as “Disgusting” and “Dehumanising”

In an interview with Corriere della Sera on Friday, Meloni said she was “disgusted by what has happened” after reports revealed that hundreds of doctored photos of prominent women, including opposition leader Elly Schlein, had been shared on a now-defunct pornographic website called Phica.

The platform, which reportedly had more than 700,000 users before shutting down this week, had been active since 2005 despite repeated police complaints, according to Il Post.

It hosted sexualised, altered images taken from political events and personal social media accounts and even promoted so-called “cum tributes,” where users uploaded explicit content over stolen photos of women.

“I want to extend my solidarity and support to all the women who have been offended, insulted, and violated,” Meloni said, urging victims to report such crimes. “It is disheartening 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.”

Calling for accountability, Meloni said those responsible must be identified and punished “with the utmost firmness.” She warned that even seemingly harmless content can be weaponised when misused, “The best defence is to immediately report such crimes,” she said.

This is not the first time Meloni has faced such online abuse. Last year, she sued a father-son duo and sought €100,000 in damages after deepfake pornographic videos featuring her face superimposed on an adult film actor circulated online, the BBC reported. (Inputs from Agencies)

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