The hungry ‘should not be punished’ for stealing small amounts of food, Italian court rules

WaPo ^ | May 3 at 11:37 AM | Niraj Chokshi

[BenLurkin]

Five years ago, Ukrainian national Roman Ostriakov was homeless in Genoa when he was caught stealing cheese and sausage worth less than $5, the Telegraph reports. He was fined $115 and sentenced to six months in jail in 2015, a sentence that he appealed. On Monday, the Italian Supreme Court ruled in his favor.

"The condition of the accused and the circumstances in which he obtained the merchandise show that he had taken the little amount of food he needed to overcome his immediate and essential requirement for nourishment," it ruled. "People should not be punished if, forced by need, they steal small quantities of food in order to meet the basic requirement of feeding themselves."

...

The ruling is "right and pertinent," Italiaglobale.it wrote in a piece. The decision is rooted in a concept that "informed the Western world for centuries — it is called humanity," it wrote, according to a BBC translation.

Ostriakov's appeal was based on different reasoning than that employed by the court. His lawyers argued that his sentence should only be reduced — from theft to attempted theft — because he was caught before he exited the store.

[BenLurkin]

Good point!

[familyop]

Thousands of years ago, Law was implemented to make sure that food, shelter and a way to independence and freedom were available for landless people in need. It’s always been slavery, but there’s good slavery and bad slavery.

There’s no fiscal conservatism without moral conservatism, not that our government-paid leaders in government, business and academia are fiscal conservatives.

Oh, yassah massah. Iza obey and work Saturdays fo’ you. Gots ta pay mah rents and de company sto’. ‘Sides, I still owe duh old boss from 50 years ago. [Who is cursed, the slave or the master?]