Bill on children in cases of domestic violence, in memory of Federico Barakat.

Statement by Antonella Veltri, president of D.i.Re

Il Ddl 2417 "Provisions regarding children in cases of gender or domestic violence", presented on October 28 to the Senate and dedicated to the memory of little Federico Barakat, killed by his father in 2009 during a protected meeting despite the fact that his mother, Antonella Penati, had repeatedly denounced violence and threats of his partner, is a new step in the fight against secondary victimization, a theme that is at the center of the work of D.i.Re long since.

In 2018 we brought it to the attention of GREVIO taking care of the shadow relationship of civil society. The GREVIO report on Italy, published in January 2020, confirmed the critical issues reported by the anti-violence centers D.i.Re, asking the government to urgently remedy it.

The survey "The (non) recognition of domestic violence in civil and juvenile courts", published by D.i.Re last July, revealed the impact that sexist stereotypes and prejudices continue to have in these venues, and which translate into procedures that seriously undermine the right of women - and minors - to live a life free from violence, distorting the concept of dual parenthood in favor of a reaffirmation of the role of the patriarchal “pater familias”.

A man who is violent against his partner continues to be considered essentially a good father. The impact of witnessing violence is not taken into account, that the workers of the anti-violence centers D.i.Re they know well, because for over 30 they have accompanied women and their sons and daughters on paths to escape from violence.

We know that a law alone is not enough, And that the culture of those who will later find themselves applying it must also change.

On October 14, the first Italian e-learning platform on secondary victimization, a training course designed for those who work in justice, magistrates and lawyers, in the police and in the media, carried out in the context of Never Again project, to which over 1000 participants have signed up so far.

And on October 23, Never Again launched the first video contest on secondary victimization, which remains open until March 8 next year.

È unacceptable, untenable and dangerous for women to be judged "alienating mothers" just because they try to protect their children from fathers they fear, by men who often use trust as yet another tool to control and oppress women who escaped their violence.

D.i.Re is, and will always be, by their side.