Guwahati: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni strongly condemned the online circulation of manipulated images that targeted her and other prominent women, calling the situation “disgusting” in a statement to Corriere della Sera daily.
Authorities discovered the doctored images, ranging from political event photos to private vacation snapshots, on a pornographic website that had altered them to sexually objectify the women.
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The site, named Phica, a vulgar pun on a slang term for female genitalia in Italian, amassed over 700,000 subscribers before shutting down on Thursday.
The platform’s administrators blamed users for violating its terms, despite its long-running presence since 2005.
Investigators linked the shutdown to recent public outrage following the exposure of another group, an Italian Facebook community called “My Wife”, where members shared photos of their spouses accompanied by degrading, violent, and sexist remarks.
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Meloni expressed her support for all women affected by the image exploitation, stating, “I stand in solidarity with every woman who has been disrespected, violated, and humiliated. It’s appalling that in 2025, some still find it acceptable to degrade women’s dignity and attack them with vulgar and sexist abuse while hiding behind anonymity.”
Italian law enforcement told AFP they are investigating several such websites and forums after receiving numerous reports about the unauthorized use and manipulation of personal photos.
Meloni urged swift identification and punishment of those responsible, saying they must face justice “with the utmost firmness.”
She warned that seemingly harmless content can become a powerful tool for harm when exploited maliciously and urged victims to report such violations immediately.
Opposition leader Elly Schlein, who also faced attacks, linked the behavior to a broader culture of misogyny, saying, “Online rape culture thrives because platforms normalize and encourage it by enabling the worst impulses.”
According to the Post newspaper, Phica had operated openly for years despite repeated complaints to authorities.
The outlet reported that the site hosted explicit content such as “cum tributes”, posts where men demonstrated sexual acts involving photos of women shared without consent.
One victim, Mary Galati, revealed she had to use her father’s ID to access the site and confirm her suspicions, since only male users could register.
Galati described the platform as a “nightmare,” filled with disturbing content including men uploading images of their wives, girlfriends, and even young daughters.
She recounted seeing pictures of girls as young as four or five being sexualized, with comments ranging from sexist to outright pedophilic.
Italy’s Equality Minister Eugenia Roccella announced that the government is preparing cultural and legal measures to tackle what she called a form of “third-millennium barbarity.”
Meanwhile, women’s rights groups have begun discussions around launching a class action lawsuit.