Asia Argento flees Italy amid backlash over Weinstein allegations

Asia Argento has been the subject of intense derision after making the decision to speak out against Harvey Weinstein in recent weeks.

The 42-year-old actress, who claims the movie mogul once sexually assaulted her, has left her native Italy for Germany in an effort to avoid the criticism levelled at her in the Italian press.

Asia, who alleges Weinstein raped her when she was 21, eventually went on to have consensual relations with him in an effort to protect her burgeoning career.

"After the rape, he won,” she told The New Yorker.

However, unlike many high-profile women,who have been praised for speaking out against the film executive, the press in Italy have been quick to condemn Asia.

In an article for Quartz, Annalisa Merelli, has examined the response to both Asia's and other women's allegations against Weinstein, and asserts that the women at the centre of the scandal have been vilified.

Vittorio Feltri, editor in chief of Libero, a right wing populist newspaper, argued that as Asia did not sustain physical injury during the alleged attacks, it's likely that the sex was consensual.

Similarly, former journalist and MP, Renato Farina, argued that the women, who claim they suffered at the hands of Weinstein, have massively inflated their stories, even suggesting that their experiences boil down to prostitution, not rape.

Reflecting on her decision to leave the country amid the current climate of victim blaming, Asia simply said: “Italy is far behind the rest of the world in its view of women.”