The attack on Mazzaro is the second attack on women journalists within a year in the Campo Marzo area

Location: Italy, Vincenza
Date: October 7, 2023

TVA Vicenza journalist Martina Mazzaro was assaulted while reporting on drug issues in Campo Marzo, Vicenza. This is the second attack on journalists in the same area of Vicenza this year, raising concerns for press safety in the city. The Coalition For Women In Journalism commends the police for making an arrest. Journalists must be allowed to work without fear of attack.

On October 7, 2023, reporter Martina Mazzaro was physically assaulted in Campo Marzo, Vicenza, while covering a story about deteriorating conditions in the nearby Verdi car park. The TVA Vicenza journalist was interviewing locals when she saw people injecting drugs and syringes strewn about close to families with young children.

Sensing danger, Mazzaro assured the drug users that she had not recorded them. “I lowered the camera, turned it off, and got closer,” explained the reporter. “I said, "I didn't record, don't worry." Despite her assurances, one of the men pursued her and, in a violent outburst, hurled a glass bottle. She sustained an injury from the shattered glass.

The attack on Mazzaro is the second such incident to occur within a year in the Campo Marzo area, raising concerns about the safety of journalists reporting in that part of the city. In January,  journalists Anna Iselle and Mirko Longhi were threatened and surrounded by a group of people near Campo Marzo while filming a news segment on the area's redevelopment.

Local journalist unions and press freedom advocacy groups have unequivocally denounced the latest act of violence, highlighting the urgency of protecting journalists in their line of duty.

Mazzaro’s assailant — known to the police for other drug-related offenses — was swiftly arrested by police and taken into custody after analyzing footage the reporter had managed to capture. The attacker carried an expired residence permit. Authorities plan to deport him to Pakistan, his home country.   

CFWIJ has documented several assaults on women journalists working on the ground in Italy in 2023. In April, a man threatened, spat at, and tried to run over Rai TV reporters Barbara Di Palma and Tatiana Bellizzi. In another worrying incident, journalist Flavia Lorenzo was assaulted while reporting on a murder investigation.

These attacks are a stark reminder of the risks journalists face while carrying out their work, shedding light on pressing societal issues and ensuring the public's right to information and scrutiny. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the violence against Martina Mazzaro. Reporters should be free to work without the threat of aggression.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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