She was told to marry her rapist, but she replied, “No”

She was told to marry her rapist, 

But she replied- “No”

She was told to marry her rapist, but she replied, “No.”

And this is a 17-year-old girl who changed the laws of Italy forever.

1965, Sicily, Italy.

A girl named Franca Viola stood in the middle of a red-eyed society, a society that ordered her─ If you want to regain your dignity, marry the man. You are spoiled. Men do all these things. He raped you, so what? He wants to marry you. This is your seven-birth fortune. Get ready for marriage.

Franca did not agree. She did not agree to disappear from the world silently like this.

After breaking up with a mafia member named Filippo Melodia, Franca was kidnapped and inhumanely tortured, and Filippo kept her locked up for eight days and nights and subjected her to unspeakable sexual abuse, with one demand─ I will forgive the indecency of breaking up the relationship, if you marry me.

Franca did not agree. Therefore, after rescuing her, society and her own family pressured her─ Marry him, save her honor.

At that time, according to Article 544 of the Italian law, if the rapist married the raped woman, then the punishment would have been waived for the rapist. The explanation of this was that this would restore the social status of the woman.

What a perverted mentality!─ Honor is being restored without doing justice!

So, even in the face of pressure from society and family, the girl, who was only 17 years old, clearly said: "No."

Franca did what no one in Italian history had ever dared to do! "No."

"No."

"No" to the loss of life. "No" to the ridiculous restoration of honor. Shame? "No." To save the rapist - "No."

Her insistence set the whole of Italy on fire! Society ostracized her. Their fields were burned to ashes. But Franca did not back down.

In 1966, Franca sued. She won the case. The rapist Filippo was sentenced to 11 years in prison. And Franca became the first woman in Italy to publicly reject the barbaric practice of "honor marriage."

The trial of that case caused a stir around the world. The then Pope Paul VI and the then President of Italy, Giuseppe Saragat, both world leaders, praised Franca's courage. Although Franca did not want any of these fame-titles-honors, she only wanted self-respect through justice. Which she had earned.

It took another 15 years for the disgraceful law to be completely repealed. Finally, in 1981, the bizarre law of protecting the oppressor by disrespecting the oppressed was abolished.

In 1968, Franca Viola married her childhood friend Giuseppe. Giuseppe, who never once said 'you are a rapist' during this fight with his friend Franca Viola, said repeatedly, "You are a fighter."

Men! Filippo is also a man, Giuseppe is also a man. There are real men in the world. For real women.

Today, the name 'Franca Viola' is immortal in human history, a name that reminds us: there is no self-respect in accepting, self-respect in protesting.

She was 17 years old. A teenager. Society told her to bow down. She said, "No".

And for that "No" answer, the Law and Order of Italy was changed forever.