Prosecutors in Italy opened an investigation on Wednesday into a pornographic website that reportedly included images of female MPs and journalists, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The Italian leader said she was “disgusted” after learning that doctored images of her and other women appeared on the adult content platform, and called for those responsible to be punished “with the utmost firmness.”
The site had more than 700,000 subscribers before it was closed last week.
The photos were taken without consent from social media accounts, public sources and OnlyFans accounts, then doctored to emphasize intimate body parts or portray the women in sexual poses.
Posts elicited often sexist and sexually explicit comments from male users. One victim told the news website Fanpage the site demanded up to €1,000 a month from victims to take down the pictures.
Florence prosecutors opened the investigation after several center-left politicians complained to the police department tackling cybercrime. Hundreds of women have now filed reports.
Under prosecutors’ plans, the probe will become part of a massive investigation into revenge porn sites, including a Facebook group called “Mia Moglie,” which saw men sharing intimate images of their own wives and partners online. It was deleted by Meta last week for “for violating our Adult Sexual Exploitation policies.”
“I am disgusted by what has happened,” Meloni told Corriere della Sera last week. “I want to extend my solidarity and support to all the women who have been offended, insulted and violated.”
She added: “It is disheartening to note 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.”
Senator Mara Carfagna, leader of the center-right We Moderates party, whose pictures also appeared on the website, said it was “horrifying” and has proposed legislation requiring platforms to register the real identity of users and strengthen the copyright of images.
Italy introduced the crime of revenge porn — the sharing of sexually explicit images or videos, which were intended to remain private — back in 2019.
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