Berlusconi once again shares his unique world view.
ROME (AP) - Premier Silvio Berlusconi is being criticized for suggesting that Italy's women are so beautiful they need military escorts to avoid rape.
Berlusconi made the comments Sunday, responding to questions about a proposal to deploy 300,000 soldiers in the streets to fight crime. A series of violent crimes, including a rape in Rome on New Year's Eve and another outside the capital this week, prompted the proposal.
But Berlusconi said even with added police, such crimes can happen, and that "We would need so many soldiers because our women are so beautiful."
Opposition lawmaker Giovanna Melandri said Berlusconi's comments were "profoundly offensive."
Berlusconi says he was complimenting women.
Source
I don't even know where to start. "Complimenting"? Really? And all those poor men, who just can't help themselves around all those beautiful women...
ETA: There's more here. Choice excerpt:
Berlusconi, in an effort to explain himself, said he was complimenting Italian women "because there are only about 100,000 people in law enforcement, while there are millions of beautiful women."
He stressed that rape was a serious and "disgraceful" crime. But he added that people should never forget a sense of "levity and good humor" whenever his comments are concerned.
Berlusconi made the comments Sunday, responding to questions about a proposal to deploy 300,000 soldiers in the streets to fight crime. A series of violent crimes, including a rape in Rome on New Year's Eve and another outside the capital this week, prompted the proposal.
But Berlusconi said even with added police, such crimes can happen, and that "We would need so many soldiers because our women are so beautiful."
Opposition lawmaker Giovanna Melandri said Berlusconi's comments were "profoundly offensive."
Berlusconi says he was complimenting women.
Source
I don't even know where to start. "Complimenting"? Really? And all those poor men, who just can't help themselves around all those beautiful women...
ETA: There's more here. Choice excerpt:
Berlusconi, in an effort to explain himself, said he was complimenting Italian women "because there are only about 100,000 people in law enforcement, while there are millions of beautiful women."
He stressed that rape was a serious and "disgraceful" crime. But he added that people should never forget a sense of "levity and good humor" whenever his comments are concerned.