Italian Court rules that groping for less than ten seconds is not illegal

[NewYorkExpress]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/13/europe/italy-groping-court-ruling-scli-intl/index.html

A court ruling that found a school janitor not guilty of groping a student because the act only lasted less than 10 seconds has sparked outrage in Italy.

In their decision, the judges of the fifth criminal section of the Court of Rome said they acquitted the accused, a 66-year-old man according to Italian state broadcaster RAI, of sexual assault because the whole thing lasted “about five to ten seconds.”

In her testimony, the then 17-year-old girl, according to RAI, said the act happened in April 2022 as she was climbing the staircase at school with a friend.

She testified that she pulled up her trousers and felt a hand tucked inside them, under her briefs, touching her buttocks, according to the judgment, issued July 6.

“Love, you know I was joking,” the janitor said, according to the teenager’s testimony mentioned in the judgment.

During the trial, the janitor admitted that he had touched the student but that he had done it “as a joke.”

The judges accepted the defense’s argument that the act was meant to be a “clumsy joke” without “libidinous intent” towards the girl.

[MasterJedi]

Sadly this is the most Italian thing ever.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Sadly this is the most Italian thing ever.

No, this was the most Italian thing ever:

Italian judges have been criticised in the past for similar rulings. In 2017, a judge in Ancona cleared two men of rape partly because he said the victim looked too masculine to be a target of attraction.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/13/fury-italy-school-caretaker-cleared-groping-assault-lasted-seconds


It's true though when sex crimes are concerned Italian courts tend to become kangaroo courts.

[Lexii, harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy]

When did Berlusconi jump to the judicial branch?

[dead0man]

holy crap

This is almost as bad as Ireland putting that child in prison for defending his mom last year.

joke continent

[Meclazine for Israel]

Does this mean you can go to Venice and put your hand up a woman's skirt for 8 seconds?

[dead0man]

Does this mean you can go to Venice and put your hand up a woman's skirt for 8 seconds?

as long as it's "just joking", 'cause that makes it all ok

[CumbrianLefty]

holy crap

This is almost as bad as Ireland putting that child in prison for defending his mom last year.

joke continent

Yes, two out of character incidents sum up one of the world's most populous and varied landmasses.

[dead0man]

holy crap

This is almost as bad as Ireland putting that child in prison for defending his mom last year.

joke continent

Yes, two out of character incidents sum up one of the world's most populous and varied landmasses.

hyperbole

[CumbrianLefty]

I know, but still

[dead0man]

at least we don't have anyone defending this one yet...I guess I do miss opebo sometimes

[Badger]

Does this mean you can go to Venice and put your hand up a woman's skirt for 8 seconds?

as long as it's "just joking", 'cause that makes it all ok

Hell, push it to 9 seconds and you're still good

[Battista Minola 1616]

This is unfortunate (even more unfortunate is that I heard about this here first). But as mentioned upthread our courts have a history of rulings on sex crimes that make a ludicrous use of extenuating circumstances and infuriate people, although the most infamous one on wearing jeans was overturned not long afterwards. Sigh.

[No War, but the War on Christmas]

The response by Italian feminists and female activists has been poignant and powerful. Props and solidarity to them in this fight for bodily autonomy and basic human respect.