Alessandro Lecquio has been fired from all Mediaset programs following an interview where his ex-partner, Antonia Dell'Atte, revealed abuse suffered over three decades ago, including kicks during pregnancy. The incident coincides with 25-N, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The decision comes after Lecquio publicly admitted in 1999 to giving 'light slaps' to women.
In 1935, Frida Kahlo painted 'Unos cuantos piquetitos', inspired by a man who murdered his wife with 20 stab wounds and justified it as 'unos cuantos piquetitos'. The painting depicts a bloodied woman on a bed, covered in wounds, beside a satisfied man with a knife. This work echoes today on 25-N, as machismo persists in society.
The week has been marked by Alessandro Lecquio's dismissal from Mediaset, following Antonia Dell'Atte's interview in El País. She publicly denounced for over three decades the abuses in their relationship, including kicks when she was pregnant. Lecquio, on the 1999 Tómbola program, admitted laughing: 'Yo he tirado bofetones a las mujeres, me ha pasado, pero es un bofetón light, no encuentro que haya nada de malo'.
The author, Esther Mucients, expresses horror at how society and the gossip press labeled Dell'Atte 'crazy, manipulative, and liar' for 38 years, instead of recognizing Lecquio as an abuser. She also mentions Rocío Carrasco's phrase: 'Perro no come a perro', said when Lecquio defended Antonio David Flores, highlighting solidarity among aggressors.
Another recent incident was a live sexual assault where a man grabbed a Femen activist's breast with no intervention. According to INE data, in 2024 there were 34,684 women victims of gender violence in Spain. These cases illustrate how violence is minimized, akin to Kahlo's 'piquetitos'.