Member-only story
A Culture of Silence: The Franca Viola Story
In December 1965, an armed gang abducted a 17-year-old girl from her home in a premeditated raid. Their ringleader had been stalking and intimidating the girl and her family for months before striking. He intended to abuse and humiliate her, breaking her down, until she agreed to marry him. The law was on his side, and if she refused, she would be shunned by her community. Instead, Franca Viola courageously took her attacker to court, in a trial that sent shock-waves through Italian society.
Listen to the podcast episode on this case here:
Franca Viola’s Background
Franca Viola was born in 1948 in the coastal town of Alcamo, Sicily. Her parents, Bernardo and Vita Ferra, were a farmer and housewife. They had a vineyard and land just outside of Alcamo. In 1963, when she was 15 years old, Viola became engaged to a local man, 23-year-old Filippo Melodia. Early engagements and marriages were common in both Sicily and in many regions of Italy at the time. Franca’s parents, Bernardo and Vita initially approved of the engagement, however…