Mediterranean Women and Sexual Violence in the Confessional, 1600-1750

Descripción del proyecto

Una voz para las víctimas de abusos religiosos en la Inquisición romana

Durante siglos, las mujeres de las ciudades mediterráneas soportaron horrores dentro de la santidad de los espacios confesionales. Las voces de víctimas como Maria Taboni y Margherita Caruana fueron silenciadas por una cultura de impunidad. A pesar de sufrir violaciones, acoso y abusos, a menudo fueron culpadas e ignoradas por la sociedad y la Iglesia. Con el apoyo de las Acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA), el equipo del proyecto SECS se propone sacar a la luz estas narrativas ocultas y exigir que se asuman responsabilidades. Al ahondar en los registros inquisitoriales de las ciudades mediterráneas, en el proyecto se arroja luz sobre siglos de relatos pasados por alto. De 1600 a 1750, las mujeres y los niños sufrieron la violencia sexual, incluso dentro de los espacios confesionales. En SECS se amplifican estas voces silenciadas durante tanto tiempo y se subraya la resiliencia de los supervivientes y sus aliados a la hora de exigir justicia.

Objetivo

'I did not accuse him because I am his enemy, but because I demand justice. He raped me and then said I should have married his nephew Lorenzo to cover this [the pregnancy] up (Maria Taboni v. Don Gauci).
'He groped me, asking for my pubic hair and a pezza [cloth] damped in menstrual blood -I was horrified!' (Margherita Caruana v. Don Fabbri).
This work is inspired by all the women's and young girls' voices found in the inquisitorial records. They recounted assaults and harassment with vigor and supported one another in seeking justice. They condemned the predatorily actions and the system of impunity; their disturbing depositions convey an outstanding narrative. They show how women can be vocal, and no longer take the blame for sexual violence against them. To date, their voices have been neglected by the historiography on sexual violence and the Church. In Mediterranean cities, women and children often endured sexual violence whilst confessing to their priests. Hundreds of reports about assault and abuse were sent to the Roman Inquisitors between 1600 and 1750. However, what is remarkable is that the survivors, and their families, stood up to the perpetrators and called for punishment, irrespective of the clergymen's social standing. Despite the power dynamics at play and the gender roles, women took an active role in defending themselves, both by opening up to their families and, with other females' support, speaking up to the authorities. The Inquisition took the denunciations seriously and demanded the culprits be questioned and punished. Unlike what we might expect, mothers, husbands, fathers and friends were overwhelmingly supportive by corroborating the assaults in court. As such, women were able to circumscribe the authority of the Church and its abusive men; they did not endure abuse quietly, they spoke up and demanded justice.