Merry Christmas!

Video of the day

Child Porn

ROME, 8th November, 2008 - People who use pedopornography in Italy are tripled in four years, with an increment of 188% compared with 2004. That means Italy is in fifth place for pedophilia on Internet.

Italian organization "Telefono Arcobaleno" gave 37.263 warnings, 850 a week, 122 a day, with an increment of 21,56% compared with the last year.

Germany, USA, Russia, United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, France, Japan, in other words the G8 countries - are the first eight countries who use child porn, about the three fourth of the world's exchanges.

The chart follows with Switzerland, Spain and Netherland. Telefono Arcobaleno says that "this market of horror has is focal point in Europe: over 90% of exploited children are european, 86% of child porn is in Europe, two third of clients are european".

The report is about sites with explicit contents about pedophilia and child porn.

(Source: repubblica.it)

Crucified Woman

MILAN - a leaflet for the campaign to combat violence against women: a naked woman in the crucified position, with the cloth which traditionally cover Jesus' groin and the inscription: "Who pays fof men's sins?". And the subtitle: "Only 4% of the women victims of violence denounce their own persecutor. The others pay for him too". This is the proposal arrived to Milan's Publicity Office from Telefono Donna (Women Phone) for the campaign on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women which will take place in 25th november.

The request is to expose 500 leaflets with this image in public space of the municipal district of Milan. In the leaflet the woman is lying down on a sheet, two pillows behind the open arms, legs with overlapped feet, palm of the hands lying down, as pierced by nails, in the traditional christian iconografic position of Jesus.

The town councillor for the urban furniture Maurizio Cadeo, is unwilling. He explains: "I don't know if I can refuse the spaces, but I totally repel the content which offends our christian tradition. I put the political problem and I will inform the mayor: I will ask to Telefono Donna to withdrawal the leeflet".

"I will let councillor Cadeo to decide. It's difficult to give a judgement. Judgements risk to be personal. It's not easy". This is what the mayor, Letizia Moratti, says during a presentation at Fieramilanocity, to answer about the leaflet.

"I am honoured because of what the mayor said. She shows care, class and sensibility. She has my approval, she didn't fall in the trap of who wants the fight. Unfortunately others are not her same level". This is the way Stefania Bartoccetti, founder of Telefono Donna, intervenes as regard what the mayor said.

"It seems deplorable to me - Bartoccetti says - the behaves of councillor Cadeo: he just could call me to tell he doesn't agree with the image, he still didn't do that. It's not fair he accuse me to use the religious theme in an offensive way: if I didn't have faith I could not testify my effort for violence victims. The mayor understood this and this is the reason she assumed that position. I thanks for her sensibiliy for an organization which works since 16 years, with 75 thousand cases resolved".

"We never started to print 500 leaflets if we didn't have the town authorization. But we have. The councillor didn't tell me anything about his objections. I know that now and I am surprised. We already have permission for the image and the spaces and we already asked for the terms of delivery. We have 500 of them in 100x140 size. I am surprised and I think this is not the right way to proceeed: give permission and then raise objection to the press. If they said they don't agree the leaflets we didn't proceed". The campaign, Bartoccetti explains, was created by Arnord Worldwide Italy.

"For sure it's a strong image and a strong impact message - Bartoccetti says - but the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women doesn't talk about candies, and in a campaign we can't just give numbers. Our mission is to pay attention and give voice to who lives this violences, and their real-life story is : I feel myself crucified. The message we want to give is a deep suffering one: for Heaven's sake, it's not comparable with Jesus' one, but is a deep suffering anyway". No intention, Bartoccetti specify, "to contrast town administration, even if I didn't expect this reaction after a given authorization".

"We ask for the immediate withdrawal of this campaign, which pursues a fair purpose exploiting the Christianity symbol". This is the position of the leader of AN at the town hall, Carlo Fidanza. "We need more respect for our cultural heritage. They talk a lot about dignity: this leaflets contrast dignity, common sense and public morals".

"I invite Telefono Donna to work more on concrete proposals rather than aping Oliviero Toscani. That image is in bad taste". This is the way the Forza Italia's leader at the town hall, Giulio Gallera, intervenes about the leaflets. "Sensitization on violence against women has to be tackled in a way different than images which has in bad taste and offend religious. Telefono donna should work more on concrete proposals".

(Fonti: repubblica.it, affariitaliani.it)

One God

UDINE - A priest and an Imam, professional men and studetns, workers and white-collars: the police says there is "a quite full cross-section of italian society" in the investigation about pedopornography; 98 people investigated, 118 computers and a lot of material seized.

The operation has been called "I West". Investigated people are between 26 and 59 years old and "are of all ranks" police chief Romeo Tuliozzi says. "There are also ministers of catholic and musulman religion". Impressive the numbers about the material seized: a lot of pc, 168 hard disk, 3.634 cd, 678 dvd, 579 videotapes and 49 pendrivers.

The investigation started 'monitoring' an internet site, where you have to pay 98 dollars to access to, and which advertize pedopornography material only. The server was in USA, while the society was in Minsk (Belarus). Contacts with U.S. Immigration Department and Internet Crimes Departmente in Minsk help to defeat the 'gang'.

In Belarus, they seized four million dollars earned with online purchases of illegal material.

In Italy, police arrested a town clerk and a worker.
In the last week police search their houses and an office where they seized a computer. Then, they arrested them.

Operation "I West" follows another one which bring other two people in jail: a shop assistant and a worker. The second one had about 50 CD and DVD and thousand illegal pictures. Both of them denies the charges.

(Source: repubblica.it)

The Death of the journalism

After a long time of inactivity (I will come back with new comics soon) today I let to speak a visitor of my blog who write me about a news published here one years ago. It seems the facts reported was not exactly, or however they was mangled. It's not a newelty in the journalism nowadays: it's not my duty to make all clear, but it's fair to listen another point of view.
I also masked the names reported in the newspaper article: I think this will not steal anything to intent to report what happens around us.

You can read the original comment in the italian version of the post. I translate it here:

hi, I don't know where to begin from, they talk about my family. my mother is a prostitute from years, a life. For 4 years she prostitute herself with my sister; one year ago on the newspaper they said she was 15, but she was 17. it was not the first time in Reggio Calabria, and unfortunately the boy was not the first to go in jail, they was in France too where other boys went in jail because of them, I can send you the newspaper from Marsille.... it was the same story, I live in Italy as a nurse, I an not in contact with them, I am not able to stop them, they search for men... and that rascals goes in jail. I called her when I read the newspaper, and she told me she was not in a coffin, she was in an office with coffins all around, and she was there, not my 15yo sister. I am sorry because people read the newspaper and become sad, I am sorry to be born in this family, I am sorry for that boy's family who pay for my mother's whole life mistakes, she was always been like this, my father suffered because of her... if you want I have proof of this, I want to talk with a journalist, I can demonstrate with proof... I am worn-out, believe me! Veruska, thanks to have understrand me. I can answer to questions or show proof in any moment if you are interested in it.

Head shots

ROME (21th july) - A FRENCH tourist beat his four-year-old daughter's head against the stone base of a Rome monument so hard she was left in a coma, police said yesterday. Bambino Gesu paediatric hospital said she had suffered severe head injuries and was in a coma. Her condition was last night described as "critical but stable".

Blood still stained the pavement of the Altar of the Nation hours after the girl was beaten late on Saturday night.

Carabinieri Lieutenant-Colonel Antonello Casarsa said the man, identified as Julien Monnet, 37, repeatedly struck the head of his daughter, Luna, against the stone after a traffic officer asked to see some identification.

A Canadian tourist had told police that Monnet had been acting strangely toward the girl.

"He was holding the child in an unhealthy way. She was crying and screaming," the traffic officer, Anna Esposito, later told Italian state TV. When approached Monnet quickened his step, said Ms Esposito, then said something she couldn't understand when she asked him what he was doing.

"He was holding the girl by her arm and then started striking her head against the stone," she said.

Ms Esposito said the Canadian had then grabbed the child while she struggled to hold Monnet and called for help. "He was like a furious beast," Ms Esposito said.

Monnet was then surrounded by passers-by. He tried to break free and attempted to strike his own head on the monument, but onlookers prevented him, said Lt-Col Casarsa.

He said that a search had revealed medicine in Monnet's backpack which suggested he had been undergoing psychiatric treatment.

He added that Monnet lived with the child's mother near Paris. Police contacted her on holiday in Turkey from where she was flying to Rome. She told police she believed Monnet and her daughter were still in France.

Monnet was arrested and taken to Regina Coeli jail.

The woman in jeans has cropped hair and a pained look in her eyes. There’s a big red heart on her canary yellow top. This is a thumbnail portrait of a distraught young mother determined to protect her privacy. Fabienne Verdeille, 32, is the partner of Julien Monnet, the 37-year-old Frenchman who on Saturday evening beat his daughter Luna into unconsciousness. Ms Verdeille arrived in Rome at 1 pm yesterday from Turkey, where she had been holidaying with her sister, after a stop in Paris to pick up her mother and her mother’s partner.

As she started out on her agonizing tour of Rome’s hospitals, police stations and carabinieri barracks, Ms Verdeille requested and obtained a news blackout on the incident. This means it will be difficult to reconstruct events leading up to Saturday evening’s tragedy in Piazza Venezia. Julien Monnet, the IT technician who is Ms Verdeille’s partner and Luna’s father, has been charged with attempted murder. He will be questioned by magistrates tomorrow.
“It’s a human tragedy and a family tragedy”, was all Ms Verdeille had to say to reporters. She explicitly requested that her pain should be respected, in the hope of discouraging over-inquisitive reporters and obsessive media attention. “This isn’t some housewife from the banlieues”, commented on eye witness.



It is known that Ms Verdeille confirmed to carabinieri that Mr Monnet has suffered mental disturbances and has been taking medication for some time.

(Source: ilmessaggero.it, scotsman.com, corriere.it)

Photo of the day

Gheddafiction

This is the last comic from my old blog, and it is related to the wrong news about Gheddafi's death, about one year ago. Another good example of journalism. Here they will come the brand new Veruska comics!

The moon's sickle in the well

A comic about the two brothers from Gravina (Italy); they thought they was killed by their father, but it seems they just fallen down in a well where they died after a hour, without nobody listen their cry for help.

8 March: International Women Day

Video-Lover

I published this comic on 28th May, 2007 talking about people who sold naked child pictures from their mobiles in exchange for recharge.
This time is 40yo man, already sentenced for pedophilia and sexual abuses, who makes forbidden shooting of naked children having shower in a public swimming pool near Milan (Italy) with a small television camera.
Was one of the children to see and denounce him to his swimming teacher. In his house police found over one thousand photos, probably exchanged on the web.

Preteen Model

He took a roll to develop to a laboratory in a mall. But when the photographer seen the photos he could only call the police. They was four shots of a 9 years old little girl.

It was the last june and the police confiscated the photos and search the apartament of the man: a 60 years old architet.
Three years and 1200 euros the conviction, thanks to a discount because of the quick proceeding. Girl's parent was also invicted: they worked for the man and they say thay didn't know anything. Police suspects thay get money to let the man to shoot the girl.
"I am an artist, I am fond of these pictures" was the excuse of the man.

(Fonte: epolis Milano)

Day Zero

Because I'm busy in these days, here it is another strip from my old blog, which is about the scandal documentary "Sex Crimes & The Vatican" broadcasted during the TV show "Year Zero" by Michele Santoro. I was talking about that in the previous strip, too. It was almost a year ago: 31th May, 2007.

This is the video, in two parts. Just to don't forget:

Fresh News

Another comic I published on my old blog in 21th May 2007.

Photo of the day

Backstage

Backstage of yesterday comic, to see Veruska before she was painted.

Futurist Action

Comic strip related to the "futurist appetizer" organized by Graziano Cecchini (the one who turned the Trevi red) to protest against the tram they want to build just in front of Florence Cathedral. Such a good idea!

I prefer Graziano's idea to paint four naked model.

Gang Bang

Sadly, this is a still topical comic. It was published in May, 23th 2007 and it was related to a gang rape made by a group of young boys against a girl of same age. Unfortunately, history repeats itself.

RIMINI, february 18th, 2008 - A 15 y.o. girl was raped by 10 boys she considered friends, all underage and from a "good family". The young boyfriend of her is one of them. The news come from a local newspaper in Rimini, where the rape happened.
The newspaper talks about an uncontrollable group who forced the girl to sexual acts against her will, no matter her desperate cry. The victim hidden the horror for a long time, bu at last she told everything to her parents.
The rape goes back to the last summer, and after the investigation, seven boys was already identified: many of them boasted of their "exploits".

(source: repubblica.it)

World Cat Day

If you didn't already know it, today february 17th, is the World Cat Day.

Bad companies

Here it is another comic who was originally presented on the old blog. I t was published in May, 18th, 2007, and it was talking about a bus hijack made by 4 robbers. Safety on the bus which run out in these days after a mortal bus accident in Milan. A crash between a bus and a tram, because of a man driving a SUV: 1 was killed and about 30 was seriously wounded. Danger is everywhere.

Show must go on!

After a month of silence, I get back from this joke, looking forward to the brand new comics in the next days.

Happy New Year!