Posted on 01/19/2005 10:39:33 AM PST by presidio9
An Italian man who slapped a young woman on the bottom while she was making a telephone call has been handed a 14-month suspended jail term by the Supreme Court.
The tough sentence made headlines in Italy where judges have been cracking down on sexual harassment with a string of ground-breaking verdicts against unsolicited advances.
A man in northern Italy was fined 300 euros ($392.5) last year for sending a flirtatious text message to a woman.
In the past such cases would rarely have made their way into the courts of a country renowned for its macho society.
Italy's high court ruled that the slap was an act of sexual aggression, which belittled the woman and caused her "duress."
The aggressor, identified only as Ivan P., told the court that the victim was a relative, who had invented the story to get revenge in a family feud.
"I don't believe in justice anymore. The sentence has ruined my life," he told Il Messaggero newspaper. His prison term was suspended because he was a first time offender.
"When I was in High School a guy smacked me on the butt..... My reaction? I found it funny."
Same here! As far as getting slapped on the rear, we just dealt with it ourselves in whatever way we felt was appropriate at the time. Most of times we chose to laugh at it. Sometimes we even struck back. Heck we even enjoyed the occasional whistles of approval we'd receive.
"Heck we even enjoyed the occasional whistles of approval we'd receive"
Indeed!
"I have to agree. What the guy did was simple battery and would be a crime in the states as well. My only question, which the article doesn't answer, was did he get a greater sentence because the court found this was sexual harassment? I would have a problem with that for the same reason I have a problem with all these hate crime statutes."
I doubt it came from any hate crime laws, which, I agree, are assinine. I think it's more that Italy, which has had an atrocious history of dealing with rape victims, is now finally cracking down. They may be over-zealous, but I think they'll self-correct.
What irritates me about people who think a woman getting groped is no big deal - aside from the fact that we should all, male or female, have the right to our bodies - is that they assume that any woman who might be offended is some kind of uptight feminist witch who wants to castrate all men. They think the women need to lighten up and just accept the so-called compliment of having a man pat their ass. It never occurs to them that some women might rightly interpret it as a threat. I had a dear friend who was molested as a child. It took her years of therapy to even get her to the point where she could hold a man's hand. For some guy to grope her on the street would've absolutely traumatized her.
Most of us enjoy a whistle or good-natured catcall, but keep your hands to yourself, guys.
"Okay, what if he slapped her on the face instead? Would you condone that? There's no difference, you know,...
While that may be true in your case ... ;^)"
See my reply to Steeler's fan for why I hold the opinion I hold. Bet it never occurred to you to consider that the woman being groped might have had the trauma of a violent rape or molestation in her background, did it? Still think it's a charming thing to do?
FYI, I happen to be rather cute, but even if I wasn't, I'd rather look like an ass than act like one.
Most of us enjoy a whistle or good-natured catcall, but keep your hands to yourself, guys.
It is extremely disturbing to me too. I can't describe how horrifying it is to lose the right to keep someone else's hands off of you....if you complain, you are told you are being overly emotional, that it is all in fun, that they are just playing etc. And if your little round bottom is OK, how about your breast? But they are soooo cute! Hey, a pinch here or a tickle there can't be so wrong, now can it? Oops, hand slipped between your legs! Thanks OK darlin', we're just playin' ;)
Well, it isn't OK! Male or female, touching another person anywhere without invite is wrong. VERY wrong. Period. Like steeling property, just because you see it, doesn't give you rights to it.
Just 'effin damn. Don't get me started.
How are you supposed to meet women when you cant even flirt using text messaging? In all honesty, there is better ways to flirt but when you cant even say "Hey babah" over text messaging, then you can forget giving any gal that longer than normal glance when trying to send signals. Now you will get slapped with an harrasment charge. Women in Italy will make a career opportunity if a guy makes an advance.
Heck with that, we need pics!!!
Steeling= stealing
hrmpt at my own spellin'
good point!
A while back I posted a thread about Italy passing a law making bottom pinching a crime -again. It seems that there was a recent law that legalized bottom pinching (seriously). After things got "out of hand," legislators were forced to take specific action to stop it. Oh, those nutty Eye-talians. Bottom pinching may seem harmless or even humorous in the abstract, but try to envision the recipient as your wife. Or daughter. Then its not so funny, right? When it comes to playing grabass, its best to keep it to your wife or girlfriend. And even then, not so hard that it leaves a mark.
I'm surprised at the replies in this thread. How do we know if she's telling the truth? Why believe her over him? It's not as if stories of this sort haven't been fabricated before.
What the heck?? I was talking about a dude text messaging a hot chick. That appears to be a crime in Italy now.
My father taught me young, that if any man ever slapped me on the bum, to wheel around and slap him across the face.
"Look but don't touch" is a good motto for both genders...
My comments were to the thread in general, not you specifically.
Ahh..now were are making sense... I agree. Butt pinching should be reserved for the wife/husband... even then, my wife doesnt like it. ;) And it has nothing to do with how hard I do it. No marks are ever left!
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Like it or not, a good wife should be expected to put up with some amount of butt-pinching.
Only as long as she considers it an act of endearment.
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