A judge’s decision to clear a school caretaker of groping a teenager in Italy has sparked outrage among young people on social media. The incident involved a 17-year-old student who reported being sexually assaulted while walking up a staircase at a Rome high school.
The 66-year-old caretaker, Antonio Avola, admitted to the act but claimed it was a joke. Despite a request for a prison sentence, the judge acquitted Avola of sexual assault charges, stating that the incident did not last long enough to constitute a crime. The judges said what happened “does not constitute a crime" because it lasted less than 10 seconds, according to BBC.
The ruling has triggered a trend on Instagram and TikTok, with the hashtag #10secondi, where users post videos to highlight the impact of 10 seconds. Influencers and activists have slammed the decision, emphasising the normalisation of harassment and the importance of reporting such incidents.
Italian women are using videos to protest a judge’s decision in a groping case, where a school caretaker went unpunished due to the act lasting less than 10 seconds. The videos show women rubbing their breasts as a form of demonstration.
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After the shocking ruling, Italian actor Paolo Camilli posted a video on his Instagram in which he filmed himself rubbing his chest in protest.
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The student, feeling betrayed by the justice system, fears the ruling will discourage others from speaking out against similar attacks, further perpetuating a culture of silence that protects aggressors.
According to the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), a significant number of Italian women who experienced harassment did not report the incidents, reinforcing the urgent need for change.