Italians outraged after judge allows '10 second grope'

[Lilith7]

Good grief - in the 21st cemetery, that this can happen is appalling.


https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/300...oping-rule



"Italians have reacted with outrage after a 66-year-old school cleaner escaped punishment for groping a female pupil because it “only lasted about ten seconds”.


When she confronted him, he responded: “Come on darling, you know I’m only joking,” according to other students who witnessed the incident, which happened at a high school in Rome in April last year.

The school caretaker was charged with sexual assault and sent to trial. Prosecutors had called for a sentence of three and a half years in prison.

His defence, that the whole thing was a playful joke, “appears convincing”, judges ruled, deciding to acquit Avola of the sexual assault charge.



The court’s ruling carried a stark message for the schoolgirl, the columnist wrote in La Stampa: “She should have had a better sense of humour.”

For many critics, the case reflects the casual sexism and objectification of young women that is still widespread in Italy."

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Italy is strange. I remember my Mum telling us how on a buying trip alone through Rome, Florence and Milan in the sixties she got used to complete strangers pinching her bum. But the thing that shocked her most was the food...

Not a lot fazed my Mum, but little birds on sticks, and raw eggs in soup were over the line.

[Lilith7]

Italy is strange. I remember my Mum telling us how on a buying trip alone through Rome, Florence and Milan in the sixties she got used to complete strangers pinching her bum. But the thing that shocked her most was the food...

Not a lot fazed my Mum, but little birds on sticks, and raw eggs in soup were over the line.

Yeeeww! They would be for me too!

[Olive]

Italy is strange. I remember my Mum telling us how on a buying trip alone through Rome, Florence and Milan in the sixties she got used to complete strangers pinching her bum. But the thing that shocked her most was the food...

Not a lot fazed my Mum, but little birds on sticks, and raw eggs in soup were over the line.

Yeeeww! They would be for me too!

The only food I couldn't face in Rome was pasta with the intestines of milk-fed lambs.  Before that I hadn't regarded myself as squeamish at all,  but that was a step too far.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

And we think some Asian food is beyond the pale...

But to get back to the ten second grope, while disgusted at the judge, I have to ask myself what the groper thinks they can achieve in ten seconds other than appalling their chosen victim.

But maybe that is their intent.

[Olive]

But to get back to the ten second grope, while disgusted at the judge, I have to ask myself what the groper thinks they can achieve in ten seconds other than appalling their chosen victim.

But maybe that is their intent.

It's a dominance thing.  I don't actually think it's a sexual impulse, more a miniature form of rape.

I've spent a bit of time in Italy, and a good friend lived there as a single woman for a few years.  The men seem to have a scattershot approach; they will make advances to almost any woman on the off chance that one might respond favourably. 

 My friend was on a mission to sow wild oats and sometimes a groper was taken aback when she encouraged him to proceed.    Some didn't know what to do next.

[Lilith7]

Agreed, it does seem to be a dominance thing. You really have to hope that at least some of them get a smack in the mouth from their would-be victims.
And perhaps Italian women should all be given self defence training free of charge.

[R2x1]

From what I've heard (2nd hand foreigners' reports), "they're a weird mob".
I'm sure the lawyers will be rubbing their hands at that windfall decision.  The victim and the accused are largely irrelevant now, the system will proceed ponderously and expensively through a lengthy series of appeals, hearings and deferments while the revenue stream flows merrily on.  Women, foreigners and minorities in Italy are apparently not taken very seriously by the system as long as they don't disturb the status quo. If there's any fuss about the cost of all this, that lady will be blamed.   

Rome won't be fixed in a day.

[Lilith7]

From what I've heard (2nd hand foreigners' reports), "they're a weird mob".
I'm sure the lawyers will be rubbing their hands at that windfall decision.  The victim and the accused are largely irrelevant now, the system will proceed ponderously and expensively through a lengthy series of appeals, hearings and deferments while the revenue stream flows merrily on.  Women, foreigners and minorities in Italy are apparently not taken very seriously by the system as long as they don't disturb the status quo. If there's any fuss about the cost of all this, that lady will be blamed.   

Rome won't be fixed in a day.

  I wouldn't be too surprised if they somehow decide she's to blame, should there be any cost.

The Abrahamic religions tend to be misogynistic to some extent. Perhaps in another several thousand centuries we might see change.

[Zurdo]

10 seconds is quite a grope...I could do a fair bit of groping in 10 seconds.

[R2x1]

"I could do a fair bit of groping in 10 seconds."

Wanna bet - - - every time??

 My late departed could do a fair amount of explanation during the first two seconds; by three seconds she would be approaching cruise speed and explanations might be less prone to being addictive. No records exist of offenders reaching  5 seconds.  But, she was very fluent in "P. Off" with informative gestures. 

[Olive]

10 seconds is quite a grope...I could do a fair bit of groping in 10 seconds.

Serious question:  why do you grope?   Or, if you are just fantasising about groping, what is the appeal for you?

[Zurdo]

Just thinking about 10 seconds of anything, it's a lot longer than ''10 seconds''. Hold your hand in the fire for 10 seconds...it'd be burnt to a crisp. I think they are taking 10 seconds as being as big as a bus...it's just what people say. His grope was probably 2 seconds max...enough time for her to turn around and say ''WTF, get you hands off me !''

[Wainuiguy]

And we think some Asian food is beyond the pale...

But to get back to the ten second grope, while disgusted at the judge, I have to ask myself what the groper thinks they can achieve in ten seconds other than appalling their chosen victim.

But maybe that is their intent.

Depends how good the groper is.......

But seriously- Italy - say no more

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Doesn't take me ten seconds to backhand a miscreant. Though, I may be a tad out of practice.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Oh yes, the old 'can't you take a joke' line. She should've busted his nose. That would have been funny.

[Lilith7]

Oh yes, the old 'can't you take a joke' line. She should've busted his nose. That would have been funny.

Self defence courses for women - no doubt the effect of those would prove very interesting.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Fighting back is risky though, we need to know how to assess the level of threat before we react.

[Zurdo]

66...a slap could've caused a heart attack. Then it would be her in trouble. Then again, he could've been a Mafia hit man in his youth.