Politician says girls taken by ISIS had sex with captors
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The vice president of the Italian senate has become embroiled in a row after he suggested that two aid workers kidnapped in Syria had sex with their captors.
Maurizio Gasparri posted his comments on Twitter just days after the release of Italians Vanessa Marzullo and Greta Ramelli, who were held hostage for six months by Islamic extremists.
Mr Gasparri wrote: “#Vanessa and Greta [had] consensual sex with their captors? And we pay!”
The vice president claims he read the sexual allegations on a blog, while his comments about money allude to reports that Italy paid up to 12 million euros (£9 million) to secure the release of the young women.
Mr Gasparri’s words provoked anger on Twitter, where the hashtag #GasparrioffTwitter trended for much of the day.
He said: “A [news] site reported the two girls had told the authorities [they had sex].
Greta Ramelli (left) and Vanessa Marzullo
“I also wrote that I hoped it wasn’t true. I simply noted the claim and asked if it was true. I didn’t state anything.”
It was not clear which news site had originally stated the claim.
It is not the first time Mr Gasparri has found himself in hot water.
Earlier this year he posted an expletive-laden tweet mocking England after their defeat to Italy in the World Cup.
"It’s always a pleasure to say, go... themselves' to the English, pretentious and d****,” he tweeted.
