10 Seconds: Women protest against Italian groping case
A 66-year-old school janitor in Italy was acquitted of groping a learner because he had only done so for less than 10 seconds.
Women all over the world have taken to social media to protest a court ruling in Italy involving a school janitor accused of groping a student.
According to a CNN report, the man was acquitted of sexual assault in part because the groping incident lasted “about five to ten seconds".
The 17-year-old victim told the court that the 66-year-old school caretaker put his hands inside her pants, touched her buttocks, and slightly lifted her into the air as she walked up a staircase at a school in Rome in April 2022.
The man admitted to touching the teen but told the court he was just joking. He denied putting his hands inside her pants.
His argument was accepted by the judges who said that he had no “libidinous intent”. The Court of Rome accepted that while the act was a “clumsy joke" it was "lacking in lust".
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A court in #Rome said it acquitted a janitor accused of touching a student because it lasted “a handful of seconds.” Misogyny is alive throughout the world in various degrees. From #Afghanistan where women have no rights to Italy where brief groping is ok. https://t.co/gAGEtgHcz7
— abdullah sharif (@axsharif_s) July 15, 2023
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Italian women took to social media to express their outrage. They have been sharing videos that show just how long 10 seconds lasts.
The '10 Seconds Challenge' sees women holding different parts of their body. They used the hashtag #QuickGrope in some of the videos.
Women from all over the world have also joined in.
"An Italian judge ruled it legal to touch someone without consent as long as it doesn't last more than 10 seconds after a janitor grabbed a 17yo girl's ass by putting his hand in her pants. We're doomed as a species. Italy does not deserve your money, don't visit," one woman tweeted.
Another user wrote: "I'm so enraged rn in light of the fact that a janitor here has been discharged for sexual assault because he had groped a minor girl for 10 seconds, judge said that for 10 seconds it cannot be considered a crime."
An Instagram user commented: "Any touch without consent is a crime!! Less than 10 seconds and all is rubbish!!!"
Here's a look at some of the videos shared by social media users on TikTok. WARNING: The videos contain content that some might be sensitive to.
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@mariesophie #zehnsekunden Jede Sekunde ist zu viel! Ich bin so geschockt und kann es einfach nicht verstehen… #10seconds #10secondi #italy #10sekunden ♬ original sound - MARIE-SOPHIE
@imgiadasciortino Quindi 8.60 secondi non è reato? #10secondi #giustizia #bidello ♬ suono originale - Giada Sciortino
@itvnews Why are Italians groping themselves and timing it? #italy #explained #10secondi #rome #school #10seconds #itvnews ♬ original sound - itvnews
Main image credit: IiStock/AndreyPopov