Segnare la colpa. Donne e dovere di testimonianza sulle violenze di guerra nei processi del lungo dopoguerra italiano (1944-2013)

This essay explores the role of women in Italian trials for war crimes and collaboration spanning the “long period” from 1944 to 2013, focusing on their participation as victims, accusers, and observers. Drawing on judicial records and trial reporting, the study underscores the vital contribution of women to the reconstruction of historical truth within transitional justice frameworks—contexts often marked by forms of summary justice. Between 1944 and 1950, women played a central role in grassroots denunciations and demands for accountability. In the later trials from the 1990s onward, female testimonies became increasingly centered on memory and moral reparation, frequently voiced by the daughters and granddaughters of victims. The essay concludes by addressing persistent gender asymmetries within the judiciary and the ongoing tension between recognition and the stereotyping of women’s voices in judicial settings.