Physical Contact Deemed Not Sexual Harassment if Under 10 Seconds... Italian Court Ruling Sparks Flood of Criticism

Prosecutors Demand 3 Years 6 Months Imprisonment for Sexual Harassment Charges
Court Rules "Not a Crime as It Did Not Exceed 10 Seconds"
Protest Videos Against the Ruling Flood SNS

A court ruling in Italy acquitting a school staff member accused of sexually harassing a 17-year-old female student has sparked controversy after the court stated that the duration of the harassment was under 10 seconds, thus not constituting a crime.

On the 12th (local time), according to the British broadcaster BBC, a recent Italian court acquitted Antonio Avola (66), a school administrative staff member at a high school in Rome, who was charged with sexual harassment.

Film actor Paulo Camilli posted a video of himself touching his body for 10 seconds in protest of a court ruling.
[Photo by Paulo Camilli on Instagram]

He was previously charged last April with sexually harassing a 17-year-old female student at the school. The prosecution sought a prison sentence of 3 years and 6 months during the trial.

He was accused of pulling down the victim's pants and touching her buttocks on the school building stairs. He admitted to touching the student’s body but denied any criminal intent, claiming it was a joke.

In response, the Italian court ruled him not guilty. The court explained that despite the defendant admitting to the act, the short duration of the incident was the reason for the acquittal. In particular, the presiding judge stated that his actions did not meet the criteria for a crime as they did not exceed 10 seconds.

The judge also added that the touching appeared to be an awkward behavior without lustful intent.

"Who measures time while being sexually harassed?" Flood of criticism on social media

This ruling caused significant unrest in Italian society. As news of the trial spread, the phrase "palpata breve," meaning "brief groping," rapidly circulated on social networking services (SNS) such as Instagram and TikTok, accompanied by the hashtag #10seconds.

Additionally, videos showing people silently staring at the camera while touching their own bodies for 10 seconds as a form of protest against the ruling have been continuously uploaded online.

After actor Paulo Camilli first posted such a video, thousands followed suit. Among them was Chiara Ferragni, a famous Italian influencer with 29.4 million followers on Instagram.

Regarding this ruling, influencer Francesco Cicconetti expressed his anger on TikTok, saying, "Who exactly decides that 10 seconds is not a long time, and who is timing it while being sexually assaulted?" The photo is unrelated to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Pixabay]

Another influencer, Francesco Cicconetti, expressed his outrage on TikTok, saying, "Who decides whether 10 seconds is a long time, and who measures time while being sexually harassed?"

He added, "Whether it is 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or even just 1 second, no one has the right to touch another person’s body," and stated, "The judge’s acquittal of the man shows that sexual harassment is commonplace in Italy."

The victim, in an interview with Corriere della Sera, said, "The judge ruled his behavior as a joke, but I do not see it as a joke," adding, "He silently approached me from behind, pulled down my pants, and touched my buttocks."

She further stated, "His behavior was not that of an elderly man joking around with a teenager."

She continued, "During those few seconds, I could clearly feel him touching my body," and expressed feeling betrayed once again, this time by the judiciary after the school.

The victim emphasized, "In the future, victims of sexual harassment might think reporting to authorities is useless, but silence only protects the perpetrator, so it is essential to report."

According to data from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), reported by BBC, 70% of Italian women who experienced sexual harassment between 2016 and 2021 did not report it at all.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.