Nome di donna (2018)

Nina is a young woman who leaves Milan to move to a small town in Brianza, where she finds a job at Baratta, a prestigious clinic for wealthy elderly people. At first, things seem to go well, but Nina has to face a grim reality: the sexual harassment of director Torri, who had already abused numerous other female employees before her. The day after the attempted assault, Torri pretends he is meeting Nina for the first time and begins to subject her to workplace bullying. The atmosphere grows increasingly oppressive: Nina finds no support from her colleagues, who refuse to report the abuse they have suffered and isolate her; moreover, the union’s complaint comes to nothing, and the magistrate closes the investigation. After being suspended from work for a month, Nina manages to contact Sonia, a former care assistant, who sends her to Franca. Franca had once fallen in love with the director, been rejected by him, and secretly signed questionnaires against him in revenge. Nina finds a job at the church run by Don Gino, to whom she tells what happened to her. Don Gino decides to investigate the matter thoroughly, something he had not done in Sonia’s case in the past: she and her husband had asked Don Gino for help after sending Torri a photograph of Sonia injured. Fearing the consequences, Don Ferrari, the head of personnel, accepted the story that it was an accident, while the couple accepted a severance payment. However, Sonia does not feel able to go to court and testify. Nina tells the union that Sonia had tried to blackmail Torri, who had shoved her, causing her to hit a piece of furniture and split her lip. Nina is offered her job at Baratta back, provided she signs a letter stating that she made everything up. Attorney Tina Della Rovere takes Nina’s case, and the trial against Torri begins. The trial, initially held in public with Sonia’s testimony and later behind closed doors, ends with Torri being sentenced to one year, suspended. A year passes. At the appeal trial, the court finds Torri guilty of sexual assault offenses linked by continuity and, having granted general mitigating circumstances deemed equivalent to the aggravating circumstances alleged, sentences him to six years in prison and permanent disqualification from public office; Don Ferrari is also found guilty of the offense of aiding and abetting and sentenced to three years in prison. Both must pay the legal costs and damages to the civil parties.