Leonardo La Russa is under investigation for suspected sexual assault, and alleged sexist comments and victim blaming towards the young woman who reported the alleged offence.

“I do not enter into (the merit of) individual cases and the reaction of a person who has emotional ties,” said Roccella.

La Russa is the leading exponent of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and the holder of the second highest office of state.

“He is the father of the suspect,” Roccella added.

“What I can say is that La Russa is the one who first proposed a men-only demonstration against violence against women, because this is not a problem that only effects women but also men.

“This already seems to me to be an answer,” said the minister.

On Friday La Russa issued a statement saying he was “certain” his youngest son Leonardo had nothing to answer for.

Corriere della Sera reported that a compliant has been filed against the young man by a 22-year-old woman for allegedly sexually assaulting her at his home after a night at a Milan disco on May 18.

“I am counting on the Public Prosecutor’s Office, in which I have always placed my trust during my long professional career, to shed light (on the matter) as quickly as possible in order to dispel any doubt,” said La Russa.

He also challenged “the account of a girl who, by her own admission, had consumed cocaine before meeting my son”.

Such an account “objectively raises many doubts”, he added.

In the statement La Russa also took issue with the fact that the complaint had been filed 40 days after the alleged assault.

“Over and above his son’s responsibility, which it is down to the judiciary to clarify, it is disgusting to hear words from the second highest office of State that once again intend to undermine the credibility of women who report sexual violence on grounds of how long it has taken them or whether they had consumed alcohol or drugs, as if this were an automatic presumption of their consent,” responded centre-left opposition Democratic Party (Pd) secretary Elly Schlein.

“The President of the Senate cannot perform secondary victimisation,” she added.

“It is precisely because of these kinds of words that so many women do not report (sexual violence) for fear of not being believed.

It is unacceptable for those holding institutional positions to legitimise sexist prejudice,” concluded Schlein.

ANSA