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Italian court: Not a virgin? Sex crimes aren't as serious

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by hnjjz, Feb 17, 2006.

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  1. hnjjz

    hnjjz Member

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    http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/02/17/italy.abuse.reut/index.html

    Italian court: Not a virgin? Sex crimes aren't as serious
    Mussolini's granddaughter slams all-male court after recent rulings

    Friday, February 17, 2006; Posted: 8:21 p.m. EST (01:21 GMT)

    ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- Sexually abusing a teenager is less serious a crime if the girl is not a virgin, Italy's higher court said on Friday in a controversial ruling that immediately drew a barrage of criticism.

    The court ruled in favor of a man in his forties, identified only as Marco T., who forced his 14-year old stepdaughter to have oral sex with him after she refused intercourse.

    The man, who has been sentenced to three years and four months in jail, lodged an appeal arguing that the fact that his stepdaughter had had sex with men before should have been taken into consideration during his trial as a mitigating factor.

    The supreme court agreed, saying that because of her previous sexual experiences, the victim's "personality, from a sexual point of view, is much more developed than what would be normally expected of a girl of her age".

    "It is therefore fair to argue that (the damage for the victim) would be lower" if the abused girl was not a virgin, Italian news agencies quoted the court as saying.

    This means the man could now be handed a lighter sentence.

    News of the ruling immediately drew fire.

    "I think we have gone back 50 years," said Maria Gabriella Carnieri Moscatelli, head of the Telefono Rosa association that helps sexually abused women.

    "It is inconceivable that such a serious crime that ruins the life of a woman, irrespective of her age, might be considered in a different light depending on whether she is a virgin," she said.

    Female politicians from across the political spectrum also strongly condemned the court's decision.

    "This is a shameful, devastating ruling," said Alessandra Mussolini, grand-daughter of wartime fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. "The real problem is that there are no women in the supreme court."

    Luana Zanella of the Greens opposition party called the court's arguments "abominable".

    The supreme court is no stranger to controversial judgments.

    In recent years it has ruled that "an isolated and impulsive" pat on a woman's buttocks at work did not constitute sexual harassment, and returned a verdict that a woman could not have been raped because she was wearing skin-tight jeans.
     
    #1 hnjjz, Feb 17, 2006
  2. wnes

    wnes Contributing Member

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    This pretty much is a male dominated forum. Granted there are guys sympathetic toward women's rights and even feminist cause, but I seriously doubt news of this nature would gather much debate. Let me put it this way, you should feel lucky if you don't see any replies with smart-ass comments or "perversive" images before the thread obliviates into the 2nd page.
     
    #2 wnes, Feb 17, 2006
  3. Deckard

    Deckard Blade Runner
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    Unbelievable. Total Neanderthals. How on earth do they get appointed? The States are littered with sexist men, and women are still fighting the "glass ceiling," fighting to get equal pay for equal work, and equal shots at executive positions, but compared to Italy, America is awash in rights for women.



    Keep D&D Civil.
     
    #3 Deckard, Feb 17, 2006
  4. tigermission1

    tigermission1 Member

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    Isn't Italy one of the more 'conservative' Western European nations? It's a Roman Catholic nation after all...
     
    #4 tigermission1, Feb 17, 2006
  5. TMac640

    TMac640 Contributing Member

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    "normally" , I'd have a smartass comment.

    Alas, I do not for this thread.

    come back to me when a teacher thread comes up again though.
     
    #5 TMac640, Feb 17, 2006
  6. s land balla

    s land balla Member

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    God, I miss living in Italy...
     
    #6 s land balla, Feb 18, 2006
  7. bronxfan

    bronxfan Member

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    i'm going to play devil's advocate (don't crucify me - i don't really believe what i'm saying - just saying it to get some discussion)....


    if part of the reason that a rape of a child is judged more harshly is because of the "loss of innocence" of that child - should the child's innocence be taken into account? and i know people will say that we shouldn't ever look at the victim to determine the severity of the punishment - however someone who kills a cop gets more time than someone who kills a gangbanger.


    i know that because it is a child - everyone is going to be disgusted by this premise. what if it were an adult. say the rape of a prostitute versus the rape of a nun - would the outrage of using the victim's history be as much?


    again i'm playing devil's advocate (not espousing a personal opinion)
     
    #7 bronxfan, Feb 18, 2006
  8. MadMax

    MadMax Member

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    i don't ever want to hear, "man, we're so backwards, Europe just laughs at us," ever again.
     
    #8 MadMax, Feb 18, 2006
  9. twhy77

    twhy77 Member

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    No its not; It's pretty liberal and suffers the same atheism that afflicts most of the rest of Europe.
     
    #9 twhy77, Feb 18, 2006
  10. MR. MEOWGI

    MR. MEOWGI Contributing Member

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    You are an affliction.
     
    #10 MR. MEOWGI, Feb 18, 2006
  11. MadMax

    MadMax Member

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    your mom's an affliction.
     
    #11 MadMax, Feb 18, 2006
  12. MR. MEOWGI

    MR. MEOWGI Contributing Member

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    She's a liberal so I guess so.

    But actually, the mindest that virgins are somehow holier than the rest comes from the Christian mindset. That's why they ruled this way.
     
    #12 MR. MEOWGI, Feb 18, 2006
  13. mateo

    mateo Member

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    Both the prostitute and the nun are someone's daughter.
     
    #13 mateo, Feb 18, 2006
  14. Zac D

    Zac D Member

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    That's a pretty sick decision.

    What I wonder is what the reaction would be if it were phrased in the reverse.

    Assume this was a different case, and the result was "Italian court rules that sex crimes against virgins deserve harsher punishment."

    I dunno, I feel like it takes on a different connotation even though really it's the same thing.
     
    #14 Zac D, Feb 18, 2006
  15. Zac D

    Zac D Member

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    And... wait, WHAT?
     
    #15 Zac D, Feb 18, 2006
  16. halfbreed

    halfbreed Member

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    Interesting. That would be similar to (but not exactly like) hate crime laws, which I disagree with.

    It was stated that there wouldn't be much discussion on this board because we're men. :rolleyes: I think there's no discussion because it's pretty much a no-brainer that this is a dumb decision. That's like posting a new thread:

    [CNN] Murder is Wrong
     
    #16 halfbreed, Feb 18, 2006
  17. nyquil82

    nyquil82 Member

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    I bet he wishes he was tried in the south in the US and that his stepdaughter was his daughter. No conviction there. :D
     
    #17 nyquil82, Feb 18, 2006
  18. halfbreed

    halfbreed Member

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    I thought stereotypes were evil... :confused:
     
    #18 halfbreed, Feb 18, 2006
  19. twhy77

    twhy77 Member

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    Again with the personal pronouns? I thought your former being quit those.
     
    #19 twhy77, Feb 18, 2006
  20. MadMax

    MadMax Member

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    i'm a christian and that's not my mindset at all.
     
    #20 MadMax, Feb 19, 2006
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