Pope Francis on Wednesday decried what he called a 'plague' of violence against women in today's global society.
"Violence against women is an open sore, everywhere," the pontiff said at his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square.
Francis recalled his recent trip to Hungary and Slovakia, highlighting "the testimony of Blessed Anna Kolesárová, a Slovakian girl who defended her dignity against violence at the cost of her life".
He said the 16-year-old, whose life was cut short in 1944 when a Soviet soldier killed her after she resisted his rape attempt, was an "ever more relevant witness, unfortunately".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
