A judge in Milan has ruled that an Italian journalist must pay 5,000 euros in damages to Premier Giorgia Meloni for mocking her height in social media posts. The judge also imposed a suspended fine of 1,200 euros on the journalist, stating that the posts constituted 'body shaming.'
The incident occurred in October 2021 when the journalist posted a digitally altered image of Meloni standing in front of a bookshelf with a picture of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in the background. Meloni, who was in opposition at the time, deemed the image to be of 'unique gravity' and decided to take legal action.
In response, the journalist referred to Meloni as a 'little woman' in a subsequent post, adding, 'You don’t scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you’re only 1.2 meters tall. I can’t even see you.'
Reports indicate that Meloni's height ranges between 1.58 and 1.63 meters, although she has not officially disclosed her exact height. Following the judge's ruling, the journalist criticized the Italian government for what she described as a 'serious problem with freedom of expression and journalistic dissent,' hinting at a possible appeal against the verdict.
This is not the first time Meloni has taken legal action against individuals who have publicly criticized her. Critics have accused her far-right government of using legal measures to silence journalists and dissenting voices.
Meloni's lawyer stated that if the sentence against the journalist is confirmed and the damages are paid, the 5,000 euros will be donated to charity.
