Violet Albina Gibson Attempted to Assassinate Benito Mussolini

Violet Albina Gibson (31 August 1876 – 2 May 1956) was an Irish-born woman who attempted to assassinate Benito Mussolini in 1926. She was released without charge but spent the rest of her life in a psychiatric hospital in England.

She was the daughter of Lord Ashbourne, Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

Violet Gibson was born in Dublin, Ireland, on 31 August 1876. Her father was an Irish lawyer and politician, Edward Gibson, who was created Baron Ashbourne in 1885. Her mother, Frances, was a Christian Scientist. Violet experimented with Theosophy before becoming a Roman Catholic in 1902. She was presented as a debutante at court during the reign of Queen Victoria.

On 7 April 1926, Gibson shot Mussolini, Italy’s National Fascist Party leader, as he walked among the crowd in the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome after leaving an assembly of the International Congress of Surgeons, to whom he had delivered a speech on the wonders of modern medicine.

Gibson had armed herself with a rock to break Mussolini’s car window if necessary, and a Modèle 1892 revolver disguised in a black shawl. She fired once, but Mussolini moved his head at that moment and the shot hit his nose; she tried again, but the gun misfired.

It has been thought that Gibson was insane at the time of the attack and the idea of assassinating Mussolini was hers and that she worked alone. She told interrogators that she shot Mussolini “to glorify God” who had kindly sent an angel to keep her arm steady.

The assassination attempt started a wave of popular support for Mussolini, resulting in the passage of pro-Fascist legislation which helped consolidate his control of Italy.

She spent the rest of her life in a psychiatric hospital, St Andrew’s Hospital in Northampton, despite repeated pleas for her release. She died on 2 May 1956 and was buried in Kingsthorpe Cemetery, Northampton.