A woman was in critical condition in
a Palermo burns unit on Saturday after being doused with
flammable liquid and set on fire by her husband during the
night.
Anna Elisa Fontana, 48, was receiving treatment at the Civic
hospital in the Sicilian regional capital after suffering 70%
burns during the act of violence, which took place on the
Sicilian island of Pantelleria.
Her husband, Onofrio Bronzolino, aged 52, also received burns to
the face and risks losing his sight.
He has been placed under arrest.
Carabinieri police are investigating.
Italy has been grappling with a long string of acts of
gender-based violence with much soul-searching about what should
be done.
On Friday the Council of Europe said it was worried about
Italy's figures regarding violence against women.
The human rights body's Committee of Ministers said that it
"notes with concern" that the data provided by Rome "show a
persistently high percentage of domestic and sexual violence
proceedings shelved at the preliminary investigation stage, the
limited use of protection orders and a significant rate of
violations of them".
It committee expressed its disquiet after reviewing the measures
taken by Italy to resolve the problems that led the European
Court of Human Rights to condemn it several times due to its
"ineffective response" to complaints made by women victims of
violence.
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