Crime Surge in Italy: A Growing Concern for Women's Safety

New survey reveals huge increase in crime against women

Recent data from Univ-Censis reveals a troubling trend in Italy, where nearly 70% of women now report feeling unsafe when walking alone at night.

This fear has grown amid rising crime rates, leaving many women feeling increasingly vulnerable in their own communities.

In a survey of 1,000 adults, 67.3% of women admitted to fearing for their safety when walking home after dark. This fear has contributed to a broader concern among Italians about the overall safety of their country.

A staggering 75.8% of the population believes that Italy has become more dangerous in the last five years, with women expressing heightened concern at 81.8%.

As a result, nearly 40% of Italians have curtailed their night-time activities due to the fear of becoming victims of crime. In 2024, Italy reported 2,388,716 crimes, marking a 2% increase from the previous year and a nearly 4% jump since 2019. Alarmingly, crimes targeting women have risen even more sharply.

Sexual assaults in Italy have seen a 34.9% increase, with 6,587 reported incidents last year alone.

The survey also highlighted:

• 25.6% of women reported having been sexually harassed

• 23.1% said they had been mugged or pickpocketed

• Nearly 30% of women experienced the distressing sensation of being followed by strangers

In cities like Milan, where crime rates are the highest in the country, the situation remains dire. The city recorded 69.7 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants in 2024, with other major cities like Florence and Rome also showing high crime statistics. The recent arrest of a group of men in Milan, following gang sexual assaults on New Year’s Eve, further underscores the scale of the problem. The attacks were believed to be part of a disturbing trend involving collective sexual harassment in crowds.

These troubling patterns are not limited to Italy. Similar trends have been reported across Europe, including the United Kingdom.