Italian senator denies sexual assault allegation inside Senate offices, Senate president orders review
Forza Italia senator Francesco Silvestro has denied allegations he sexually assaulted a 52-year-old wine saleswoman in his parliamentary office in February 2025, while Senate President Ignazio La Russa has asked Senate quaestors to open an inquiry.
The allegation
A 52-year-old wine sales agent from Emilia, identified only as V., has filed a criminal complaint alleging that Forza Italia senator Francesco Silvestro sexually assaulted her during a business meeting in his Senate office on 25 February 2025. According to the account published by La Repubblica, the woman was introduced to Silvestro by a carabiniere acquaintance described as a relative of the senator, to discuss a supply of champagne and fine wines for a villa the senator was preparing to inaugurate on Capri.
The woman alleges that after an initial commercial discussion, Silvestro made increasingly suggestive remarks about wine loosening inhibitions before forcing her into a non-consensual sexual act. She says she left the office in a state of shock and was found in tears by a friend waiting outside in a car. The complaint was filed more than a year after the alleged incident, which the woman attributes to undergoing therapy and to pressure from the carabiniere intermediary not to pursue legal action.
Silvestro's response
Silvestro, 55, a mattress entrepreneur and provincial secretary of Forza Italia in Naples, confirmed the meeting took place but denied any assault occurred. In an interview with La Repubblica, he stated he has received no formal notification of any investigation.
I haven't received any papers, any notice of investigation. Let's see. Then we'll have some fun.
He acknowledged the intermediary is a carabiniere who married his cousin and confirmed the meeting was about wine. Addressing the allegation directly, he said: "Modestly, I'm a good-looking guy, the lady is a normal lady. Anyone can say what they want. But then things have to be proven. Maybe she wants to extort something from me." He added that the woman visits other senators to sell wine and that their parting was normal, with her mentioning dinner plans but never following up.
Institutional reaction
Senate President Ignazio La Russa, having learned of the matter through press reports, has invoked articles 67 of the Senate regulations and articles 2 and 8 of the code of conduct to request that the Senate quaestors carry out the necessary inquiries. The president and quaestors are scheduled to meet on Tuesday 10 June for further assessment by the Presidency Council.
Political fallout
Opposition senators from the Democratic Party have called for full transparency. Vice-president of the Senate Anna Rossomando described Silvestro's remarks as "unlistenable," stating that in 2026, the phrase "I'm a good-looking guy, she's a normal lady" represents the worst culture around male-female relations. Cecilia D'Elia, vice-president of the bicameral commission on femicide, said the comments demonstrate the need for sexual-affective education even for adults and senators.
In 2026, 'I'm a good-looking guy, she's a normal lady' represents the worst and most degraded culture around male-female relations.
The Democratic Party senators stressed that the presumption of innocence applies and that the judiciary must establish the facts, but added that if the account is confirmed, the Senate as an institution cannot remain silent.
Legal status
The complaint names both Silvestro and the carabiniere, identified as A.P., who is accused of attempted intimidation. The prosecutor may decide to hear both before formally entering them in the register of suspects. La Repubblica reports that the case file may soon be transferred to Rome. Silvestro's lawyer, Roberto Guida, issued a statement expressing the senator's astonishment and declaring his total non-involvement, noting he has no knowledge of any pending proceedings and reserves the right to take action to protect his reputation.
