The school janitor allegedly grabbed the student’s pants. He was acquitted by a court because the assault reportedly lasted less than ten seconds.
Several Italians criticized a Rome court’s decision on social media for a few days. According to a media report, a school janitor grabbed a 17-year-old student’s pants and touched her buttocks on a ladder. A court acquitted the man last week, however, because the attack reportedly lasted less than ten seconds. Since then, the outrage has been great.
Videos show how long ten seconds can last
People post videos on Instagram and Tiktok under the hashtag #10secondi (German: ten seconds) to show how long a “palpata brevis” (German: short groping) can last.
A timer runs for ten seconds while women and men look into the camera and touch private parts of their bodies. Italian actor Paolo Camilli, known for his role in “The White Lotus”, kicked things off. He was followed by influencer Chiara Ferragni, known in Italy.
The janitor said he acted for fun
According to the newspaper “Corriere della Sera”, the case happened in April 2022. When the student went upstairs with a friend to go to class, she felt someone behind her pants and for about five to ten seconds she stuck her hand under the panties. . The caretaker later admitted to touching the 17-year-old’s buttocks, but said he did not reach under her pants and said he did it “for fun”.
According to the report, the court acquitted him of the sexual assault charge. His actions do not amount to a crime, as the “Corriere della Sera” quoted from the verdict. The attack lasted “a handful of seconds” and was therefore “clunky but free of lecherous intent”. The student was upset about this. “It wasn’t a joke, at least for me,” she told Corriere della Sera on Wednesday.