Rome, the Carabinieri force against violence against women

On the occasion of November 25, “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women”, the Carabinieri have organized a communication and awareness campaign, which aims to strengthen awareness and commitment on this delicate issue.
Every day, the Institution is at the forefront of the fight against violence against women and the initiatives undertaken are all united by firmly saying “No!” to any form of violent or discriminatory behavior – whether physical or psychological.
The dissemination of information material, posters and videos on the main social channels of the force, in addition to the numerous interviews of Carabinieri particularly involved in the specific activity, represent useful tools to encourage victims to report what they are suffering.

In this perspective, a commercial was created with the participation of the famous TV presenter Carlo Conti, as well as a video message by personnel of the Carabinieri, inviting women to "take the first step", highlighting the existence, in support of the victims, of legal measures, as well as psychological, work and economic support.
Another pillar of the campaign is the involvement of schools and communities. In many municipalities, the Carabinieri have organized information meetings to raise awareness among young people on the delicate issue and to promote a renewed concept of women, which respects their dignity, valorizing their resources, thus ultimately overcoming that cultural legacy that has historically seen them in a position of inequality.

Also this year, many barracks of the Carabinieri will light up in orange, in compliance with the international campaign “Orange the World”, as a concrete sign of the important commitment made by the Institution.
Furthermore, on the site www.carabinieri.it, an entire section has been dedicated to the “red code”, which offers information on the phenomenon and on the tools for protecting victims, making available a self-assessment test, called “Violenzametro”, which detects the level of violence suffered in a relationship (http://www.carabinieri.it/in-vostro-aiuto/consigli/codice-rosso/codice-rosso).
In a constantly evolving social and regulatory framework, the Arma has long since launched projects aimed at preventing and combating gender violence.
In fact, in 2009, the Stalking Acts Section was established, located within the Criminological Analysis Department (RAC) of the Carabinieri Scientific Investigations Group (Ra.CIS), to carry out studies and analyses of the phenomenon and outline appropriate, updated and effective prevention and contrast strategies. The Section is promptly informed of every significant event that occurs throughout the national territory, to delve into the psycho-criminological aspects, also with a view to analysing risk factors and developing operational strategies.

It is a leading unit, composed of personnel with specific scientific and psychological skills, supported by investigators, to bring, within this structure of excellence, the experience gained directly in the field.
Since 2014, the Arma has equipped itself with a “National monitoring network on the phenomenon of gender violence”, made up of judicial police officers (Marshals and Brigadiers), with certified training in the specific sector. They act as points of reference for the personnel of the Departments on the territory in the development of investigations and are a connecting element, at a central level, with the Stalking Section for a more complete assessment of the cases.

Their training is ensured by specific courses attended at the Istituto Superiore di Tecniche Investigative (ISTI), a high qualification centre of the force, which, since 2008, has provided for the specialization of judicial police officers and enables them to conduct the most complex investigations and use sophisticated tools, combining innovative teaching methods and updated training content.. A true laboratory of investigative culture in which the contribution of the most qualified resources of the Arma converges, drawn from the ROS, the Scientific Investigation Departments (RIS), the Criminological Analysis Department and the Investigative Nuclei, who bring the best acquired experiences to the classroom.
To date, 36 2-week courses have been held, which have trained 864 operators. Furthermore, within the framework of an operational agreement with the National Council of the Order of Psychologists (CNOP), the members of the “network” participate in informative seminars focused on elements of behavioral psychology, aimed at improving the ability to interact with vulnerable victims both in the first contact in emergency situations and in the subsequent reporting process.
In addition to the duly trained personnel and dedicated Departments, the first listening point for victims are the Carabinieri Stations, the heart of the Institution, "doors of hope", widespread throughout the territory that ensure timely interventions.

As part of inter-institutional collaborations, the Carabinieri participate in numerous agreements signed between Public Prosecutor's Offices, Prefectures, Police Forces, Health Authorities, Hospitals, Anti-Violence Centers and non-profit associations.
Among these, the project called “A Room of One’s Own” which, starting in 2015, thanks to the valuable collaboration of Soroptimist International d'Italia, has allowed the setting up of approximately 200 rooms in the barracks of the Carabinieri distributed throughout the country, equipped with technological tools useful for listening to victims of domestic and gender violence and for verbalizing complaints in a dedicated and absolutely private context, capable of transmitting a feeling of welcome and attention for the suffering endured. To this end, guidelines for the furnishing of the rooms have been defined that take into account the psychology of colors and images.
The initiative repeats on a larger scale the positive experience implemented in 2014, at the headquarters of the Stalking Section, with the creation of the “Lanzarote Room”, an environment designed for the comfortable reception of the victim, with a control room for hearings.

Just today, at the headquarters of the Carabinieri Station of Sezze Romano, another room was inaugurated, in addition to the others, all designed to encourage women to contact the force and support them when reporting.
In 2019, the “Mobile Angel” system was launched in the province of Naples, developed with the “Intellitronika” company thanks to the support of the “Soroptimist International Italia” and “Woman Care Trust” associations, committed to protecting stalking victims, and the “Vodafone Italia” and “Lottomatica” Foundations, which pursue the purpose of assisting vulnerable social categories. The project, now extended to the provinces of Rome, Milano and Turin in agreement with the respective Public Prosecutor's Offices, provides for the delivery to victims of gender violence of an alarm device integrated into a "smart watch", connected to the telephone network. A dedicated "App" allows, in case of need, to send requests for intervention to the Operations Center of the Arma.

A total of 15 smartwatches were assigned to Naples, 15 to Milano, 20 in Turin and 21 in Rome and their use has determined positive feedback due to both the increased perception of safety on the part of the victims, aware of being able to count on timely interventions in the face of emergency situations, and the proven deterrent function performed by the devices.
The Arma's primary commitment is to guarantee the safety of women and prevent situations that could degenerate, paying particular attention to the so-called "indicator crimes", that is, crimes such as stalking, mistreatment against family members and cohabitants and sexual violence, often precursors of tragic and fatal epilogues for the victims. In 2023, compared to 2022, the crimes prosecuted by the Carabinieri with reference to the Red Code increased from 54.062 to 55.374, confirming the prevailing percentage of those reported to the Carabinieri Stations.
In the first ten months of 2024, the Carabinieri prosecuted 46.317 crimes under the Red Code.

On the investigative-repressive level, the institutional counteraction activity conducted by the Arma has been particularly significant. In fact, last year - as regards the Red Code - 7.644 people were arrested compared to 7.111 arrests in 2022. In the first ten months of 2024, there were 7.928 arrests.
Looking to the future, the Arma intends to confirm its contribution in preventing and combating the phenomenon, well aware of the difficulties in intercepting in advance - unlike many other types of crime - the individual criminal episodes, given that they manifest themselves in their gravity and are reported a long time after the beginning of the harassing conduct, in a phase already critical for the physical integrity and safety of the victims.

Gender violence is a serious phenomenon of a cultural and social nature, against which restrictive measures alone are not enough, instead an evolutionary process of the anthropological component must be considered essential, which goes hand in hand with the changing and rapid changes in society.