In Italy, the American multinational Meta (formerly Facebook) closed a group where 32,000 members traded hundreds of stolen photos of their women, more or less bare. A shock for the victims, but also for all the other women who have not escaped this misogynist content advocating rape.
Shots stolen from wives, companions or engaged
It was an Italian feminist activist, Carolina Capria, who sounded the alert. Tuesday, August 19, she publicly denounced the existence of the group “Mia Moglie“(broadcasting intimate photos of women without their consent) on his Instagram account. The next day, the Italian postal police confirmed the closure of this group on Meta. However, this intervention occurs six years after the club’s online creation (2019), despite the multiple reports made by feminist activists.
Six years during which the 32,000 members were able to share stolen photos of their companions (wives, companions or engaged) in underwear, at the beach, in the supermarket or by car. Most often, these images were accompanied by sexist and vulgar remarks.
“”Many women have already recognized themselves and have filed a complaint“, According to the vice-director of the Postal Police of Rome, Barbara Strappato, but others still ignore that their spouse betrayed them … and that their intimacy has been raped.
A freezing affair, but which does not surprise Amélie Boukhobza, clinical psychologist.
How to explain the attitude of the members of this group?
“Spontaneously, we could say to ourselves:” But finally, who does that? “Yet … this type of stories is more frequent than you think”, Aid in the preamble to our expert.
Remains the question of “For what ?” – Amélie Boukhobza believes that the group effect comes into account.
“Alone, most men would never dare. But in a collective, moral landmarks are diluted. We feel protected, we do like the others. And behind a screen, the feeling of impunity further strengthens this drift. Voyeurism becomes a game and shame dissolves in the mass. It is the same mechanism that makes you laugh in questionable jokes in the evening, when we would condemn them in private. she underlines.
In 2017 in Belgium, a fairly similar group called “Babylon 2.0” had also been closed after denouncing a blogger. He then had more than 50,000 members.
As for the profile of these men, the psychologist refutes the image of the isolated perverse.
“These are often ordinary individuals, in search of recognition and symbolic power. They need to have them foaming with friends, to show a relationship with sexuality marked by domination and staging, as a way of establishing their virility. Creating the excitation of others becomes a way of affirming their power and their control (which has the most beautiful companion, the most exciting?). exhibit, a trophy to share, rather than an intimate space to respect “, continues the psychologist.
Finally, what strikes is not the existence of these few disturbed individuals, “But the banality of these behaviors as soon as a collective validates them. Logic is simple:” Everyone does it, so I can do it “”.
“It is still more than time to teach a true culture of respect, intimacy and consent to our gentlemen in particular!”, concludes Amélie Boukhobza.
And in this area, many remains to be done … According to the Tribune de Genève, less than forty-eight hours after the abolition of “Mia Moglie”, its members migrated to the Telegram platform.