Emiliano Ciotti: "Let's not erase the memory of war rapes."

On the same topic:

A wealth of documentation collected over the years has been deleted from the web in a cyberattack. For this reason, an organization that usually has a harder time achieving it has gained prominence in recent days. Founded in 2007, it is supported by volunteers and the tenacity of Emiliano Ciotti, 51, a firefighter with an environmental commitment that earned him a knighthood. Perhaps to younger people who haven't seen the film "Two Women," the National Association of Victims of the "Marocchinate" (ANVM) will seem like an association with a cryptic name. Due to a lack of memory, history teaches little, even when current events reveal that war rape is a crime still being perpetrated by Russians in Ukraine.

Who could have hacked you?

The investigation is leaning toward political motives, as we haven't received any requests for money. Fortunately, the documentation is backed up and we'll restore it.

Does the Association have political aims?

Only a historical intent. Rather, there was a political reluctance to openly reflect on those acts of violence: the atrocities committed by the Germans are well known, but not by the French Expeditionary Force, even though the first to speak about them in the Chamber was the Communist MP Maria Maddalena Rossi in 1952.

How many cases were there?

Approximately twenty thousand rapes were documented in Ciociaria alone, and we estimate sixty thousand across Italy. This is a conservative estimate. The Corps commanded by General Alphonse Juin landed in Sicily, and the rapes began there, but we recorded them in every region they passed through. Even in Trieste, where units destined for the occupation of South Tyrol disembarked. Unfortunately, the archives do not convey the full story because many people preferred not to report it. Those who had been raped were branded. If they were single, they could not find a husband. The perpetrators of the rapes were not only Moroccans, although the term "marocchinate" became more prevalent in the post-war period. The French Expeditionary Force, over 111,000 men, also included Tunisians, Algerians, Senegalese, members of the Foreign Legion, and, of course, European officers.

Is it true that Juin gave his soldiers a sort of fifty-hour green light after breaking through the Gustav Line?

There was no such order, but rather fifty hours: the last documented rape occurred in January 1946. Juin recommended instead maintaining "a dignified attitude" despite the resentment toward the nation that "hatefully betrayed France." With the Allies' breakthrough of the Gustav Line on May 18, 1944, this resentment was vented. Therefore, we proposed that the date of May 18 be dedicated to the memory of those victims of all ages. Even a three-year-old boy was killed because he screamed while his mother was being raped, in Prossedi, in the province of Latina.

Did the officials know?

They tolerated it and sometimes participated. Even the Germans feared the goumiers, the special units trained for mountain warfare. There were Wehrmacht soldiers who committed suicide to avoid decapitation or mutilation.

Did the Americans know?

They had no intention of interfering in the conduct of another army, but then they could no longer. Arriving at the gates of Viterbo, they ordered the French to be shot at, witnessing violence. Even the Pope knew: many parish priests reported rapes, even on those who had already been killed. The cases of Father Alberto Terilli, who died as a result of rape, and Father Enrico Jannoni, who was shot for defending several women, are well-known. The nuns of a convent in Colleferro were also raped. Pius XII protested to General Clark, so the French did not camp in Rome but between Fiuggi, Castelli, and Civitavecchia.

Did anyone keep the baby they were pregnant with?

They were entrusted to communities: in Sabaudia, in Veroli, in the province of Frosinone. The children of rape have never contacted our Association, either because they haven't established their origins or to conceal it. A few years ago, the mayor of a town in Ciociaria whispered one to me, as happened with the victims. I'm from Roccagorga, in the province of Latina, and even in the 1990s, people whispered: "See that guy? He was raped by Moroccans." On the other hand, I was prompted to investigate by a family case: my fourteen-year-old uncle, raped and murdered.

Were the victims compensated?

To submit a claim, it was necessary to report the incident to the Carabinieri immediately after the incident; a medical report; and a declaration from the mayor. Until 1947, the compensation, amounting to 15,000 lire, was provided by France. From 1947, it was paid by Italy up to a maximum of 150,000 lire. A pension was only available in the case of permanent infirmity.

With what parameters was it quantified?

The victim's age, whether they had contracted venereal diseases, which happened in the majority of cases, and other injuries suffered: some had lost teeth from the beatings, others had had their breasts bitten off, some had gone mad. Others had not survived the violence inflicted in rotation by up to hundreds of soldiers.

Which countries were most affected?

In Castro dei Volsci 940 rapes, in Pico 809, in Amaseno 706.

Will there be a commemoration day?

Only one President of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, expressed himself in 2004, saying that "no one will ever be able to forgive" those acts of violence. Giorgia Meloni did so as Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, and there's a bill in the Senate. We continue, and the hacking doesn't discourage us.

More on these topics: