In Italy, touching a minor’s buttocks for 10 seconds is not a crime

Another beautiful day for rape culture. In Italy, a school guard has just been released from the courts after touching the buttocks of a 17-year-old student. between five and ten seconds “. The magistrates have established that this does not constitute a crime. A decision that does not go beyond the Alps.

An assault presumably too short for ” characterize the libidinous intention by its author

This was reported by the court of Rome, quoted by the Italian newspaper The Corriere della Serathe duration of the contact is not sufficient to qualify this aggression, although recognized by the author: suddenness of action, without any insistence on the action of touching “, who observes” almost a touch “, does not allow ” they characterize the libidinous or lustful intent generally required by criminal law “.

Questioned by the Italian newspaper, the young woman expressed her indignation: ” He put his hands inside my pants and under my underwear, felt my butt and then lifted me enough to hurt my private parts. This, at least to me, is no joke. »

The prosecution had asked for three and a half years’ imprisonment against the 66-year-old guard, who admitted to having touched the student as she went up the stairs, claiming it was a joke and denying having put his hands in the girl’s pants.

A wave of support on social networks

The verdict startled many internet users, and rightly so. Several students posted videos of themselves simulating a sexual assault for ten seconds. Not surprising: It seems to take forever. Italian actor Paolo Camilli (The White Lotus) also expressed his solidarity on social media, placed by the influencer Chiara Ferragni.

Behind this support, anger and tiredness at seeing, once again, shaky pretexts used to exonerate the attackers: questioned by the newspaper Daily factthe president of the Lazio students’ association (the region that includes Rome) said she was indignant” from the motivation of the judgment (…) Once again touching is not recognized as such, this time because of its duration “.

And the interested young woman adds: “ After this decision, if a girl lets herself be tempted, she will end up thinking that it is not worth reporting the violence “. A vicious circle that silences, again and again, victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

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